Jury set for CNN defamation trial after multiple candidates express disdain for network: ‘I’m not a fan of CNN’

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Legal teams representing CNN and US Navy veteran The network’s defamation lawsuit finished jury selection Monday in Bay County, Florida.

Six women and two men were selected. There will be six jurors and two alternates when opening arguments begin Tuesday in the high-stakes trial. U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young claims CNN defamed him by suggesting he made illegal money helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during Biden administration military withdrawal from the country in 2021.

Young believes CNN “destroyed his reputation and his business” by labeling him an “illegal profiteer” who exploited “desperate Afghans” during a Nov. 11, 2021, segment that first aired on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper “. 14th Circuit Judge William S. Henry, who is presiding over the trial, ruled that Young “did not act unlawfully or criminally.” despite what the network reported on the air. Judge Henry also suggested that CNN’s eventual on-air apology was inadequate.

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Potential jurors were peppered with their thoughts to the mediaveterans, punitive damages, whether they own stock in CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, which is how they earn a living and a number of other issues. The lengthy process began with the first prospective juror declaring, “I don’t like the media, especially CNN,” when asked if he could be fair. Another immediately said “not a fan of CNN,” when asked the same question.

One prospective juror said CNN was too “liberal” for her taste, one suggested media organizations believed they could say anything about anyone and “pretend to be the victim” when called out, and another said they would could be unbiased, but added, “Nothing negative against CNN…I just don’t see things the way they do.”

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One potential juror drew laughter from the courtroom when he bluntly explained why he wouldn’t make a good juror.

“It’s killing me to sit here… I’m hyper, I smoke and I have to pee,” he said.

At one point, potential jurors were asked whether they would feel comfortable awarding someone more than $100 million in punitive damages. No one objected to that, as long as “the evidence supports it”.

At least six potential jurors raised their hands when Young’s attorney, Vel Freedman, asked them if they believed CNN was creating “fake news.” The question came after one potential juror specifically nicknamed CNN “fake news.”

None of the potential jurors who disparaged CNN were selected for the jury. A “hyperactive” man was not selected either.

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While CNN’s viewership problems have been well-documented, and the network’s ratings have been falling to low levels recently, people in the courtroom seemed a little surprised when only one of the more than 40 prospective jurors said he regularly watches CNN. Only two candidates knew who CNN anchor Jake Tapper was, and neither admitted to regularly watching his program.

CNN Senior Vice President of News and Managing Director of Editorial Adam Levine was on hand to represent the network. No other CNN employees were seen.

The trial continues Tuesday morning and Young is expected to testify early in the process. There will be a trial broadcast live.

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