CNN Found Liable in Defamation Case Over Afghanistan Evacuation Report

A Florida jury awarded $5 million to Navy veteran Zachary Young, finding CNN's reporting falsely implied illegal activity and caused significant harm.

The jury ruled that CNN defamed Zachary Young by implying he operated illegally in evacuation efforts during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Young was awarded $4 million for financial losses and $1 million for emotional damages, with punitive damages to be determined in a second trial phase.
The defamation case centered on CNN's use of the term 'black market,' which Young argued falsely suggested criminal activity, damaging his reputation and career.
Internal CNN communications presented at the trial revealed disparaging remarks about Young by staff, which the network's lawyers downplayed as newsroom banter.
CNN issued an on-air apology in 2022, but testimony revealed internal disagreements among staff about whether the correction was necessary or sincere.