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CNN has been accused of defamation in a lawsuit filed by Jacob Hiles, a Virginia Beach charter boat captain who traveled to Washington D.C. on January 6th 2021 to “express his support for President Donald Trump by exercising his 1st Amendment rights guaranteed to him under the United States Constitution.”
To this end, Hiles is seeking $37 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages from CNN for their defamatory article.
Jacob Hiles alleges an article the network published in October 2021 has harmed him and led to "many credible death threats." https://t.co/NbMIqEENuG
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 19, 2023
According to the lawsuit filed by Hiles, he was falsely accused of committing felony criminal activity which he had not been charged or convicted with – either directly or indirectly.
His accusations are based on an article published by CNN which paints him as someone with violent revolutionary intentions on January 6th 2021 despite only being charged with four Class B misdemeanors and pleading guilty to one nonviolent misdemeanor eventually resulting in three other charges being dismissed.
It is also alleged that despite acknowledging the one misdemeanor charge against him, CNN misleadingly indicated he was intent on causing violence – leading to many credible death threats against him and damaging his business as well as affecting his young daughter who has lost friends due to the article.
The right of free speech is one of the most important civil liberties granted in America as it allows citizens freedom from government interference into what they can say or write about any particular topic.
The issue here however lies in whether this right extends beyond merely expressing opinion but instead extends into making false statements about a person which could potentially harm their reputation and livelihood – something which would be considered defamation if proven true.
This case serves as an example of how dangerous it can be for those involved in journalism if proper care isn’t taken when reporting stories involving individuals.
