PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Longtime CNN reporter Fuzz Hogan remains defiant as a controversial report centers on a high trial for defamation cross-examined by plaintiffs’ attorney, Zachary Young.
Young, a U.S. Navy veteran, claims CNN defamed him in a November 2021 report that first aired on “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” suggesting he made illegal money from desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan after Biden administration military retirement, implying that he was involved in “black market” dealings and as a result destroying his professional reputation.
Hogan, who was CNN’s senior editor at the time of the report, testified that the term “black market” was not mentioned in the story he approved. But he later said he thought the description was “accurate” in the context of the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan and denied there was a “negative connotation” in the phrase.
CNN reporter Fuzz Hogan denied there was a “negative connotation” to the term “black market” to describe the financial dealings of U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young in a report that aired on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” (CNN/Screenshot)
He claimed he was unaware of an on-air apology by CNN anchor Pamela Brown, who replaced “The Lead” host Jake Tapper, in March 2022, several months after the report aired.
“In November, we published a story about Afghans desperate to flee the country who faced paying high sums beyond the reach of average Afghans. The story included an introduction and caption throughout the story that referred to the ‘black market’. The use of the term ‘black market’ there was an error in the story, including the coverage of Zachary Young,” Brown told viewers in March 2022.
“We did not intend to suggest that Mr. Young was involved in the black market,” she continued. “We regret the error and apologize to Mr. Young.”
Longtime CNN reporter Fuzz Hogan said he was unaware the network had apologized for its reporting on Zachary Young, but insisted an apology was not necessary. (Fox News Digital/Law and Crime)
After watching the tape in court, Hogan said he disagreed that CNN should have apologized, which he repeatedly called a “correction.”
“I didn’t think a correction was necessary,” Hogan said, later adding that he stood by the on-air report and called CNN’s online report “pretty good.”
Young attorney Joe Delich pulled internal CNN communications Hogan had with digital editor Tom Lumley, who criticized correspondent Alex Marquardt’s coverage of the story saying it was “not poetry by any means.”
“Just want to post something to defuse some drama. I also think it’s a halfway decent story,” Lumley wrote. “We should have gone on and reported more on it. Or he should have.”
“Right,” Hogan replied to Lumley. “It seems like a good character, but we only got ¾ times the bigger one.”
When asked if he approved of publishing a story he felt was only “three-quarters as long,” Hogan replied, “Any story can be longer.”
He said he was not concerned that “The Lead” coverage was aired too soon or that it was incomplete.
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Hogan said he disagreed with CNN’s decision to air the apology, which was given by co-anchor Pamela Brown. (Screenshot/CNN)
Delich also pulled communications showing Hogan calling Young a “ps–,” something Hogan owned up to on the witness stand. Delich later emphasized the context of the exchange during questioning by a CNN reporter, which Hogan confirmed in response to comments Young made to potential clients who accused him of overpromising protected status to those remaining in Afghanistan. Hogan denied CNN’s reporting was intended to hurt Young.
Later, when asked directly if he would change anything about CNN’s coverage of Young, Hogan said “no.”
After CNN aired the controversial report, Hogan was promoted to one of the network’s heads of standards and practices. According to his LinkedIn page, Hogan says he is “responsible for ensuring that CNN’s reporting on television and online meets the network’s standards for accuracy, fairness and balance.”
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Hogan called U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young a “s–t” in an internal CNN communication that led to the controversial on-air report. (Jessica Costescu)
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Hogan was the first CNN employee to testify. Marquardt, the correspondent who anchored the CNN segment at the center of the defamation case, is expected to testify Monday.
The trial is broadcast live Fox News Digital.
