The Best Moments From Jury Selection In CNN’s Defamation Trial
Jury selection has recently concluded in a defamation trial against CNN in a Florida courthouse. Various prospective jurors expressed strong negative opinions about CNN, with one juror admitting an inability to remain impartial due to a dislike of the media, notably CNN, which he referred to as “fake news.” At least six other jurors shared similar sentiments about CNN creating false narratives. Another juror stated that they intentionally avoid CNN,considering it equivalent to other media outlets. Furthermore,one juror criticized media outlets for claiming victimhood when called out for their reporting. A separate juror mentioned that, although they have watched Jake Tapper’s show, it doesn’t captivate them. Additionally, when asked about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, none of the jurors believed it was handled well.
Jury selection concluded on Monday in a Florida courthouse in the defamation trial against CNN.
Here are the best moments from the selection of prospective jurors:
Prospective Juror 1 Dislikes the Media
Juror 1 told the Bay County Circuit Court he could not be impartial because he dislikes the media, “especially CNN,” according to Media Research Center Associate Editor Nicholas Fondacaro and Fox News’ Brian Flood.
Juror 1 later doubled down on his “dislike” for the media, saying CNN is “fake news.” At least six other prospective jurors expressed the belief that CNN “creates fake news.”
Prospective Juror 4 Avoids CNN
Juror 4 said that “they intentionally avoid[] CNN” before saying, according to Fondacaro’s reporting, that CNN is “just as bad as every other media outlet.”
Prospective Juror 23 Calls Out ‘Victim’ Minded Media
Juror 23 said he was unable to be impartial because he believes “media outlets think they can say whatever they want” and “pretend to be the victim when they’re called on it,” according to Fondacaro. The juror reportedly added that “almost everything I see on [CNN] … I see it a different way.”
Prospective Juror 27 Doesn’t Care for Jake Tapper
Juror 27 “says they have seen Jake Tapper’s show but ‘it’s not appointment tv,’” according to Fondacaro.
Jurors were also asked, “Does anyone think the United States handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan well?”
Not a single juror raised his hand, according to Fondacaro’s report.
Fondacaro reports that Jurors “2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 15, 20, 21” were ultimately chosen. Two are alternate jurors.
CNN Gets Sued
The case began when CNN ran a segment on “The Lead with Jake Tapper” that, according to U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young’s lawsuit, allegedly claimed Young “was ‘exploiting’ ‘desperate Afghans’ by offering evacuations from Afghanistan on a ‘black market’” following the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. Young argues he used his “unique skillset and relationships to assist U.S. corporations and charities that wanted to safely and swiftly extract certain persons from Afghanistan.”
Young also argues that “everything he did was legal.” A court also agreed that Young “did not do anything criminal or illegal,” according to Fox News.
Judge William Henry found CNN had “no evidence that Young did anything criminal or illegal” yet went forward with the “black market” accusation and that CNN — despite claiming to have done “three weeks of newsgathering” — had no facts to back up its claim. Henry further found that CNN used Young as a scapegoat to peddle a particular narrative, pointing out that CNN’s Alex Marquardt pitched the story prior to talking to Young. According to Henry, Marquardt used words to describe Young’s operations that were “explosive,” such as “price gouging,” “extortion,” “shadowy black market” and “fraud,” according to Fox News.
“Then, fortuitously, a door was opened to obtain information for the piece when Young reached out to [CNN Reporter Katie Bo] Lillis,” Henry wrote, according to Fox News. “Once Young stopped cooperating with the investigative reporters, Marquardt found his ‘fall guy’ — Young.”
Young is seeking punitive damages — which CNN tried to avoid. Under Florida law, a publication seeking to avoid punitive damages must issue a “full and fair correction, apology or retraction.” Tapper issued a statement on March 25, 2022, saying, in part, that the chyron used during the story referencing a “black market” was used “in error” and that CNN “didn’t mean to suggest that Mr. Young participated in the black market,” Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley reported. The court, however, found “the retraction/correction was not made during the other television shows in which the Segment aired.”
“No retraction, correction or apology was posted on any online article or with any social media posting,” the court reportedly ruled.
The trial is set to begin this week.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2
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