Earlier this week, NewsBusters was the first to report that the defamation suit against CNN could cost the network upwards of $1 billion. The possible cumulative damages were able to be that high because a Florida appeals court affirmed that plaintiff, security contractor, and Navy veteran Zachary Young was able to prove malice on behalf of CNN. And what few have seen, was the video from inside the oral arguments leading up to that ruling where two judges grilled CNN’s lawyer on their use of the term “black market” and if the network’s oversight board owned dictionaries.
At the top of his statement in oral argument, CNN’s counsel, Charles D. Tobin seemingly tried to suggest that CNN’s negative attitude toward Young was warranted because he wouldn’t answer their questions regarding his efforts to get corporately sponsored Afghans out of the country:
The record before this court shows that CNN and – CNN aired these newsworthy stories after more than two weeks reviewing information from sources including social media posts by Mr. Young where he was flippant, evasive when people asked him about his pricing model. After eight days of direct evasive communications with Mr. Young where CNN asked him about his pricing model, and he would not respond in any substance.
Judge L. Clayton Roberts interrupted and made the point, “that we with regard to the allegations that CNN called – said Mr. Young's prices were too high. That's kind of a subjective thing, right? You know whether something costs too much, it seems like mostly opinion. Right?”
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***The complete post is on NewsBusters***
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. Mary Clare Waldron
