
CNN is battling to keep its internal journalistic standards hidden during an ongoing defamation lawsuit. Navy veteran Zachary Young has sued the network for $1 billion, alleging that CNN falsely portrayed him as an illegal profiteer during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Young’s lawsuit claims that a segment on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” damaged his reputation and hurt his company, Nemex Enterprises Inc. He alleges CNN’s reporting implied he took advantage of vulnerable people during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021.
In August, the court ordered CNN to hand over its internal guidelines, but the network has resisted. CNN argues that making its standards public would be harmful, unlike outlets like the New York Times, which publish theirs. The court allowed CNN to redact portions of the guidelines, but Young’s attorney, Vel Freedman, insists that even the redacted information reveals CNN failed to follow its own rules.
Freedman argues that CNN employees acted with “actual malice” and that the network intentionally smeared Young. He points to internal communications showing that reporters had a predetermined goal to “nail” Young with their story.
CNN’s refusal to release its full standards has raised questions about its journalistic practices. If the court rules in favor of Young, CNN could be forced to pay significant damages and potentially release more of its internal documents to the public.