Latest news with #StatusNews
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CNN parts ways with correspondent months after his story cost network millions in defamation suit
Months after his story on a security contractor in Afghanistan resulted in the network paying out millions of dollars to settle a defamation lawsuit, Alex Marquardt announced he was departing CNN as its chief national correspondent. 'Some personal news: I'm leaving CNN after eight terrific years,' Marquardt tweeted on Monday. 'Tough to say goodbye but it's been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I've worked with in the US and abroad.' Marquardt's public acknowledgment that he was leaving the network came just as Status News founder Oliver Darcy, a former CNN colleague of the veteran correspondent, reported that CNN had dismissed Marquardt over 'editorial differences.' A CNN spokesperson declined to comment on what led to Marquardt's departure, stating that the network does 'not comment on personnel matters.' The spokesperson, however, did state that Marquardt's tweet saying he was leaving CNN was accurate. Earlier this year, however, an investigative story that Marquardt produced and reported about private contractors charging exorbitant fees to desperate refugees looking to flee war-torn Afghanistan was at the center of a defamation complaint filed by Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran who was the only contractor named in the piece. According to Young's lawsuit, the story – which first ran in 2021 – falsely tied him to 'black market' operations in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces from the country. He noted that Marquardt's report suggested that his activities were criminal, leading to his inability to make a living as his reputation had been destroyed. Young testified that his business only charged corporate sponsors to evacuate Afghans and did not target individual residents. While the story itself didn't explicitly accuse Young of criminal behavior, on-air graphics when the report was featured on The Lead with Jake Tapper included the term 'black market,' which eventually led the network to issue an apology the following year. However, CNN's correction stating that it 'did not intend to suggest that Mr. Young participated in a black market' was not sufficient for Young, who soon filed his lawsuit against the network. After two days of deliberations following a trial that took place in a deeply conservative Florida district, a jury found CNN liable for defamation and awarded Young $4 million in financial damages and $1 million for emotional damage. The network then reached a settlement with Young for an undisclosed amount as the trial was set to enter the second phase to determine punitive damages. Marquardt, along with several other network employees, testified during the two-week trial. For his part, he maintained that CNN's initial correction to the story was unnecessary and that it was only done at the behest of the outlet's legal team in hopes of avoiding a lawsuit. 'I reported the facts. I reported what I found. Everything in there was factual, accurate and, I believe, fair,' Marquardt said during the trial, objecting to Young's legal team describing the story as a 'hit piece' against the plaintiff. 'You needed a bad guy for your scandal story,' Young's attorney Devin Freedman asked Marquardt at one point. 'You hated him, did you not?' In the end, it may have been the Slack messages and emails from Marquardt to other editors about the story that were presented in court that sealed the trial's fate. Marquardt and other CNN staffers referred to Young as a 'sh*tbag' with a 'punchable face,' with the now-former CNN correspondent saying he was 'gonna nail this Zachary Young mf***er.' Following the verdict and settlement, a CNN spokesperson told The Independent: 'We remain proud of our journalists and are 100 percent committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN, though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case.' Reacting to Marquardt's departure from the network, an attorney for Young said that his client 'believes the universe tends to reconcile things in its own time' and that 'some outcomes speak for themselves.' Marquardt, who briefly served as a campaign reporter for CNN in 2008, returned to the network nearly a decade later and was eventually promoted to chief national security correspondent in late 2023. Marquardt also occasionally filled in as an anchor. The case also came at a very perilous time for news organizations, especially as the general public – and particularly conservatives – had grown increasingly discontent with legacy media outlets. With the trial taking place just weeks after ABC News paid Donald Trump $15 million to settle his defamation lawsuit, legal experts urged CNN to reach a settlement with Young, mainly in light of the 'damning' text messages from Marquardt that had been made public. Additionally, a judge ruled that the burden of proof was lower to prove CNN acted with 'actual malice' because Young was not a public figure. 'My advice to CNN would be to cough it up. Settle,' former Bloomberg News media legal counsel Charles Glasser said. 'Admit you're wrong. Admit your hyperbole was out of line, and move on.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
CNN parts ways with correspondent months after his story cost network millions in defamation suit
Months after his story on a security contractor in Afghanistan resulted in the network paying out millions of dollars to settle a defamation lawsuit, Alex Marquardt announced he was departing CNN as its chief national correspondent. 'Some personal news: I'm leaving CNN after 8 terrific years,' Marquardt tweeted on Monday. 'Tough to say goodbye but it's been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I've worked with in the US and abroad.' Marquardt's public acknowledgment that he was leaving the network came just as Status News founder Oliver Darcy, a former CNN colleague of the veteran correspondent, reported that CNN had dismissed Marquardt over 'editorial differences.' A CNN spokesperson declined to comment on what led to Marquardt's departure, stating that the network does 'not comment on personnel matters.' The spokesperson, however, did state that Marquardt's tweet saying he was leaving CNN was accurate. Earlier this year, however, an investigative story that Marquardt produced and reported about private contractors charging exorbitant fees to desperate refugees looking to flee war-torn Afghanistan was at the center of a defamation complaint filed by Zachary Young, a US Navy veteran who was the only contractor named in the piece. According to Young's lawsuit, the story – which first ran in 2021 – falsely tied him to 'black market' operations in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces from the country. He noted that Marquardt's report suggested that his activities were criminal, leading to his inability to make a living as his reputation had been destroyed. Young testified in court that his business only charged corporate sponsors to evacuate Afghans and did not target individual residents. While the story itself didn't explicitly accuse Young of criminal behavior, on-air graphics when the report was featured on The Lead with Jake Tapper included the term 'black market,' which eventually led the network to issue an apology the following year. However, CNN's correction stating that it 'did not intend to suggest that Mr. Young participated in a black market' was not sufficient for Young, who soon filed his lawsuit against the network. After two days of deliberations following a trial that took place in a deeply conservative Florida district, a jury found CNN liable for defamation and awarded Young $4 million in financial damages and $1 million for emotional damage. The network would then reach a settlement with Young for an undisclosed amount as the trial was set to enter the second phase to determine punitive damages. Marquardt, along with several other network employees, testified during the two-week trial. For his part, he maintained that CNN's initial correction to the story was unnecessary and that it was only done at the behest of the outlet's legal team in hopes of avoiding a lawsuit. 'I reported the facts. I reported what I found. Everything in there was factual, accurate and, I believe, fair,' Marquardt said during the trial, objecting to Young's legal team describing the story as a 'hit piece' against the plaintiff. 'You needed a bad guy for your scandal story,' Young's attorney Devin Freedman asked Marquardt at one point. 'You hated him, did you not?' In the end, it may have been the Slack messages and emails from Marquardt to other editors about the story that were presented in court that sealed the trial's fate. Marquardt and other CNN staffers referred to Young as a 'sh*tbag' with a 'punchable face,' with the now-former CNN correspondent saying he was 'gonna nail this Zachary Young mf***er.' Following the verdict and settlement, a CNN spokesperson told The Independent: 'We remain proud of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN, though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case.' Reacting to Marquardt's departure from the network, an attorney for Young said that his client 'believes the universe tends to reconcile things in its own time' and that 'some outcomes speak for themselves.' Marquardt, who briefly served as a campaign reporter for CNN in 2008, returned to the network nearly a decade later and was eventually promoted to chief national security correspondent in late 2023. Marquardt also occasionally filled in as an anchor. The case also came at a very perilous time for news organizations, especially as the general public – and particularly conservatives – had grown increasingly discontent with legacy media outlets. With the trial taking place just weeks after ABC News paid Donald Trump $15 million to settle his defamation lawsuit, legal experts urged CNN to reach a settlement with Young, mainly in light of the 'damning' text messages from Marquardt that had been made public. Additionally, a judge ruled that the burden of proof was lower to prove CNN acted with 'actual malice' because Young was not a public figure. said. 'Admit you're wrong. Admit your hyperbole was out of line, and move on.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
White House is refusing to distribute press pool reports that contain ‘inconvenient' info
In what appears to be a push to take even firmer control over the press corps' coverage of the current administration, the White House is now selectively distributing reports submitted by press poolers and apparently cutting the ones it doesn't like. Oliver Darcy of Status News first reported Wednesday night that at least two recent dispatches filed by the poolers on duty were not sent out to the news outlets that are subscribed to the White House pool report mailing list. Earlier this week, Dallas Morning News correspondent Joseph Morton sent out an email about the press being on the move from the White House to President Donald Trump's speech at a fundraising dinner for the National Republican Congressional Committee. While the message essentially conveyed that a small group of reporters was traveling to cover the event, it also included the following observation: 'A reporter and photographer with The Associated Press were turned away from joining the pool.' Notably, the refusal to allow AP journalists to travel with the press corps came shortly after a federal judge ruled that the White House must restore access to the wire service. The White House had banned the Associated Press journalists from the daily rotation of pool reporters because of the outlet's editorial decision not to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' following Trump's executive order renaming it. 'That specific pool report from Morton, I've learned, was never distributed by the White House to news outlets subscribed to its pool report mailing list—a notable omission and a clear break from precedent,' Darcy reported. Besides the Dallas Morning News report, the White House also withheld a Monday dispatch from RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann, who noted that a scheduled press conference between the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been canceled. The White House Correspondents' Association, which has already had much of its power over the press corps stripped away by the administration, has already raised the alarm over the White House's censorship of its journalists' reports. 'Traditionally, pool reporters file dispatches about the president's movements and remarks that are then distributed by the White House to the wider media ecosystem,' Darcy noted. 'Now, it appears the White House is withholding reports it doesn't like—choosing not to distribute pool reports that contain information it finds inconvenient or unflattering.' Though the correspondents' association also manages its own email list for members of the association to counter government control of the alerts and to ensure its reporters receive the real-time dispatches, journalists who aren't members – specifically from smaller independent outlets – have to rely on the White House's official mailing list 'This is a perfect example of why the White House Correspondents' Association for years has provided independent delivery of pool reports,' association president Eugene Daniels said in a statement. 'It's critical that journalists who cover the presidency—and the Americans who rely on their coverage to stay informed—get unfiltered information free from government control.' The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It comes as the administration has already seized power from the association over which reporters and outlets receive press pool assignments and is now looking to control where journalists sit in the White House briefing room.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
White House is refusing to distribute press pool reports that contain ‘inconvenient' info
In what appears to be a push to take even firmer control over the press corps' coverage of the current administration, the White House is now selectively distributing reports submitted by press poolers and apparently cutting the ones it doesn't like. Oliver Darcy of Status News first reported Wednesday night that at least two recent dispatches filed by the poolers on duty were not sent out to the news outlets that are subscribed to the White House pool report mailing list. Earlier this week, Dallas Morning News correspondent Joseph Morton sent out an email about the press being on the move from the White House to President Donald Trump's speech at a fundraising dinner for the National Republican Congressional Committee. While the message essentially conveyed that a small group of reporters was traveling to cover the event, it also included the following observation: 'A reporter and photographer with The Associated Press were turned away from joining the pool.' Notably, the refusal to allow AP journalists to travel with the press corps came shortly after a federal judge ruled that the White House must restore access to the wire service. The White House had banned the Associated Press journalists from the daily rotation of pool reporters because of the outlet's editorial decision not to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' following Trump's executive order renaming it. 'That specific pool report from Morton, I've learned, was never distributed by the White House to news outlets subscribed to its pool report mailing list—a notable omission and a clear break from precedent,' Darcy reported. Besides the Dallas Morning News report, the White House also withheld a Monday dispatch from RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann, who noted that a scheduled press conference between the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been canceled. The White House Correspondents' Association, which has already had much of its power over the press corps stripped away by the administration, has already raised the alarm over the White House's censorship of its journalists' reports. 'Traditionally, pool reporters file dispatches about the president's movements and remarks that are then distributed by the White House to the wider media ecosystem,' Darcy noted. 'Now, it appears the White House is withholding reports it doesn't like—choosing not to distribute pool reports that contain information it finds inconvenient or unflattering.' Though the correspondents' association also manages its own email list for members of the association to counter government control of the alerts and to ensure its reporters receive the real-time dispatches, journalists who aren't members – specifically from smaller independent outlets – have to rely on the White House's official mailing list 'This is a perfect example of why the White House Correspondents' Association for years has provided independent delivery of pool reports,' association president Eugene Daniels said in a statement. 'It's critical that journalists who cover the presidency—and the Americans who rely on their coverage to stay informed—get unfiltered information free from government control.' The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It comes as the administration has already seized power from the association over which reporters and outlets receive press pool assignments and is now looking to control where journalists sit in the White House briefing room.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CNN Pundit Scott Jennings, Who Regularly Defends Trump, Gets Raise Amid Staff Cuts
CNN is laying off hundreds of staffers — but reportedly giving Scott Jennings a raise. The conservative pundit has defended President Donald Trump and his billionaire confidant Elon Musk on numerous occasions since the election, and, while CNN is currently restructuring and laying off some 200 people, Jennings may be getting more money. The network is now in its final stages of negotiating a new contract and substantial pay bump for Jennings, sources told former CNN reporter Oliver Darcy for a Status News article published Thursday. The deal is ultimately part of a tectonic shift at CNN. Network CEO Mark Thompson said in January he wants CNN viewers to be able to make up their own mind on issues discussed on air, and pointed to 'NewsNight With Abby Phillip' as an example of a program that gives CNN panelists the freedom to wildly disagree. Jennings has frequently clashed with Phillip on her show in recent months. An ex-staffer for former President George W. Bush, he routinely opposes centrist critiques of Trump and Musk and seemingly always sides with the ideology they espouse. The commentator slammed women's basketball star Caitlin Clarke last year for acknowledging her white privilege in the WNBA and claimed she had 'been captured by the woke mob.' He recently criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's attire for a White House visit — after Trump did. Jennings refused to even consider in September that it was racist when Trump claimed Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were 'eating the dogs,' and he defended Musk's Nazi-like salute in January — but refused to imitate it on air to prove it was harmless. Jennings has argued SpaceX and Tesla founder Musk has no conflicts of interest despite benefiting from billions of dollars in federal contracts while making decisions for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — through which Musk is gutting federal agencies that he deems are financially wasteful. Thompson's previous comments about the network-wide shake-up suggest Jennings is merely doing his job, however, by serving as a conservative 'heel' who provides tantalizing contrast to the discourse on air. Whether that will give CNN a ratings boost remains unclear. The network ended 2024 with some of the lowest ratings in its history, but managed to come in second place between Fox News and MSNBC for viewers between 25 and 54 years old in the year-end cable viewership averages. Green Day Slams JD Vance With Lyrics Change At Australian Concert Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Lays Into 'Bully' Elon Musk Over DOGE Firings Marco Rubio Gets Ripped For Praising Trump's 'Moral Clarity.' Here's What An Expert Thinks.
