The Propaganda FilesJury Finds CNN Defamed Navy Veteran Over Afghan 'Black Market' Story
A November 2021 CNN segment on The Lead with Jake Tapper, plus a web version, linked security contractor Zachary Young to a 'black market' exploiting desperate Afghans after the Taliban takeover. Young was the only contractor named.
The story concerned the chaotic Afghanistan evacuation, but the error targeted a private contractor and served no clear partisan narrative.
What was reported
A November 2021 CNN segment on The Lead with Jake Tapper, plus a web version, linked security contractor Zachary Young to a 'black market' exploiting desperate Afghans after the Taliban takeover. Young was the only contractor named.
What actually happened
Young sued for defamation in Florida. In January 2025 a jury found CNN liable both for defamation per se and for defamation by implication. It awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and found him eligible for punitive damages. CNN settled for an undisclosed sum before punitive damages were set, while saying it stood behind its reporting.
The proof
A Florida jury verdict of January 2025 finding CNN liable for defamation.
The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:
Jury Finds CNN Defamed Navy Veteran Over Afghan 'Black Market' Story — Debunked. A Florida jury verdict of January 2025 finding CNN liable for defamation. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/cnn-zachary-young-defamation-verdict/
Original reporting
- NPR (via KPBS): Background on the 2021 segment and the verdict (secondary)https://www.kpbs.org/news/economy/2025/01/17/cnn-settles-lawsuit-after-5-million-defamation-verdict
Corrections, findings & records
- NPR (via KPBS): CNN settles lawsuit after $5 million defamation verdicthttps://www.kpbs.org/news/economy/2025/01/17/cnn-settles-lawsuit-after-5-million-defamation-verdict
- Bloomberg Law: CNN hit with $5 million defamation verdicthttps://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/cnn-hit-with-5-million-defamation-verdict-in-florida-court
Archived copies
Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.
- Archived copy: NPR (via KPBS): Background on the 2021 segment and the verdict (secondary)https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.kpbs.org/news/economy/2025/01/17/cnn-settles-lawsuit-after-5-million-defamation-verdict