Media Lawyer Explains Why CNN Settlement in Libel Case Is a Big Deal – IOTW Report

Media Lawyer Explains Why CNN Settlement in Libel Case Is a Big Deal

Daily Signal: Will media outlets learn the right lessons after CNN settled in a lawsuit with Nick Sandmann, the MAGA-hat wearing teen who became the center of a widely botched, viral story?

“No. They don’t learn.”

That was the answer from Charles Glasser, a lawyer who teaches media ethics and law at New York University and the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, in an interview with The Daily Signal.

Sandmann became the center of a media storm nearly one year ago after a viral video emerged of him wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and standing in front of a Native American man at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

A deluge of media outlets portrayed Sandmann as the aggressor and a racist before more facts emerged to disprove that narrative.

“I keep wishing and I keep hoping that they will learn their lesson, that being responsible instead of being first wins the day,” Glasser said. read more

24 Comments on Media Lawyer Explains Why CNN Settlement in Libel Case Is a Big Deal

  1. ” ….. CNN argued that there can’t be a factual basis for calling somebody a racist.”

    Something that should be shoved in their faces, as publicly as possible, every time they or one of their talking heads makes a reference to someone being racist or implying they are.

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  2. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering the field of journalism. CNN strayed from journalism l-o-n-g ago. What CNN practices is destruction of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives without regard to fact or truth. CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the burning pain they hoist upon the innocent. Bastards, all of them.

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  3. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering the field of journalism. CNN strayed from journalism l-o-n-g ago. What CNN practices is destruction of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives without regard to fact or truth. CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the burning pain they hoist upon the innocent. Bastards, all of them.

    1
  4. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering the field of journalism. CNN strayed from journalism l-o-n-g ago. What CNN practices is destruction of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives without regard to fact or truth. CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the burning pain they hoist upon the innocent. Bastards, all of them.

  5. Glasser said he is not a proponent of heavy-handed financial costs for media outlets, which could hamper the field of journalism. He instead argued that the best solution in the Sandmann case would be for outlets to issue a public apology:

    If I were Sandmann, instead of asking for money … my big ask would be an on-air correction and an on-air apology, and, you know, something in the permanent record of the internet, that they would publish a retraction and apologize. I think that’s the equitable thing and that’s the right thing.

    Hell with that. If I’m Sandmann I am asking for lots of money. If they want to offer, and put in writing exactly how they will do it, an apology then that could be part of the discussion. But they won’t – so I would demand lots of money instead.

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  6. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering the field of journalism. CNN strayed from journalism long ago. What CNN succeeds at is the obliteration of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives without facts or truth. CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hungry hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the suffering pain they pour upon the innocent. Bastards, all of them!

  7. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering the field of journalism. CNN strayed from journalism l-o-n-g ago. What CNN practices is destruction of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives without regard to fact or truth. CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the burning pain they hoist upon the innocent. Bastards, all of them.

  8. LCD: That is exactly what I was thinking. Sure, CNN could apologize… today. They would then do the same thing next week to someone else.

    If these media outlets just practiced what used to be called journalism there would not be a problem. The evidence of the case was out there, CNN (and others) just chose to ignore it. And when the truth did come out, CNN did not turn its fangs on the original, so called “victims.” It is clear that CNN was not the least bit interested in the truth. When the media becomes interested in the truth then maybe we won’t be so jaded.

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  9. LCD: That is exactly what I was thinking. Sure, CNN could apologize… today. They would then do the same thing next week to someone else.

    If these media outlets just practiced what used to be called journalism there would not be a problem. The evidence of the case was out there, CNN (and others) just chose to ignore it. And when the truth did come out, CNN did not turn its fangs on the original, so called “victims.” It is clear that CNN was not the least bit interested in the truth. When the media becomes interested in the truth then maybe we won’t be so jaded.

    1
  10. LCD: That is exactly what I was thinking. Sure, CNN could apologize… today. They would then do the same thing next week to someone else.

    If these media outlets just practiced what used to be called journalism there would not be a problem. The evidence of the case was out there, CNN (and others) just chose to ignore it. And when the truth did come out, CNN did not turn its fangs on the original, so called “victims.” It is clear that CNN was not the least bit interested in the truth. When the media becomes interested in the truth then maybe we won’t be so jaded.

  11. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering journalism. CNN, among others, strayed from journalism long ago. What CNN succeeds at is obliteration of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives in the absence of truth or facts.
    CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hungry hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the suffering pain they pour upon the innocent. These people are only sorry they didn’t succeed in driving this kid to a grave. Bastards, all of them. Pay up, mofos.

  12. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering journalism. CNN, among others, strayed from journalism long ago. What CNN succeeds at is obliteration of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives in the absence of truth or facts.
    CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hungry hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the suffering pain they pour upon the innocent. These people are only sorry they didn’t succeed in driving this kid to a grave. Bastards, all of them. Pay up, mofos.

  13. I disagree with Mr. Glasser regarding financial payouts hampering journalism. CNN, among others, strayed from journalism long ago. What CNN succeeds at is obliteration of individual freedoms of speech, thought, and beliefs. In their angst they destroy lives in the absence of truth or facts.
    CNN set upon a minor child like a pack of hungry hyenas. Crush their wallets until they feel the suffering pain they pour upon the innocent. These people are only sorry they didn’t succeed in driving this kid to a grave. Bastards, all of them. Pay up, mofos.

  14. The only corrective for corporate misbehavior is financial punishment. A corporation is an entity interested in the transaction only. It takes money in and pays money out. Profit is the only genuine motive in a corporation’s existence. Thus, punishment for wrongdoing must be financial.

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  15. PLUS! Nobody remembers the correction. The initial bullshit is all that most remember/recall/believe.
    “The first stage in the corruption of morals is the banishment of truth …”
    Michel de Montaigne

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  16. Why do they always pose these solutions as either/or when the ideal solution is BOTH financial AND public pain? Take their money AND expose their lies. And this whole “emerging information” thing has to end, too! It’s not fair or ethical to hide behind it and you should be held to account for ruining lives and then issuing a whimpy mea culpa “my bad” after the fact.

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  17. CNN is being punished already on two fronts. The legal costs are a big boon to Nick Sandman, and their viewership is declining precipitously, which means less sponsorship money.

    Their viewership will continue to fall if they don’t clean up their act, which, if observation is wisdom, they won’t.

    I wonder how many years the airports will take their money to show the propaganda program. Some day, CNN won’t have enough money left to pay them this bribe.

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  18. The CNN settlement is important because: (1) it creates impetus for Sandmann’s and others’ other lawsuits against all the liars; (2) it gives Sandmann some immediate compensation while he pursues what could be a years-long endeavor to get justice against other transgressors; (3) it gives Sandmann’s lawyers some nice working capital to continue working their other cases for him; and (4) it shuts up CNN.

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