The four major U.S. television broadcasters are NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox. While CNN isn’t as popular as the big four, the network still reaches about 80 million households in the U.S. and attracts over 150 million unique visitors globally each month. CNN International extends its reach to more than 347 million households worldwide.
In a recent development, CNN is preparing for a historic defamation trial as U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young alleges the network wrongfully accused his company, Nemex Enterprises Inc., of unlawfully benefiting from evacuation efforts during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Young recently achieved a legal victory ahead of his trial against CNN, as a Florida judge ruled that the network’s expert witness cannot claim he suffered no lost income from the disputed segment.
Young alleges that CNN defamed him by suggesting he profited illegally while assisting people fleeing Afghanistan during the 2021 military withdrawal. His legal team argued against the qualifications of CNN’s expert witness, Brian Buss, stating that his testimony would be redundant.
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“More lawyers don’t change the underlying facts, which demonstrate CNN defamed Mr. Young, did so maliciously, and as a result, must face the consequences this January. It won’t change the outcome either,” Young’s attorney Vel Freeman stated.
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The lawsuit stemmed from a previous segment of CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” during which Young was portrayed as an illegal profiteer.
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“Desperate Afghans are being exploited” and have to hand over “exorbitant, often impossible amounts” to escape, CNN’s Alex Marquardt said.
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“We got Young’s number and called, but he didn’t pick up. In a text message, he told CNN that ‘Afghans trying to leave are expected to have sponsors pay for them. If someone reached out, we need to understand if they have a sponsor behind them to be able to pay evacuation costs which are highly volatile and based on environmental realities,’” Marquardt added. “Young repeatedly declined to break down the cost or say if he’s making money.”
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Settlement talks recently failed, and the case is set to go to trial in January 2025.
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Young’s attorney argued that CNN’s actions have severely harmed Young’s reputation and business.
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“The Mediator files his report to the Court and advises that a mediation conference was held on September 11, 2024, at which the parties and attorneys of record appeared in person. The Court is further advised that the parties were unable to reach any agreement and an impasse was declared,” the court document read.
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