Part 4/7:

Following a jury's deliberation, Young was awarded $5 million in compensatory damages—a rare occurrence for an individual taking on a major media organization like CNN. CNN's strategy only faltered when it became apparent that Young was not classified as a public figure, which would have afforded CNN certain protections in defamation cases.

A Rarity in Media Law

Legal experts emphasized the unusual nature of this ruling against a major news organization. For CNN to be held liable for defamation is exceedingly rare; in fact, it has not been seen in over half a century for a national media organization. Given that Young was not considered a public figure, the court applied a standard of negligence instead of the more stringent "actual malice" requirement typically imposed in such cases.