Plaintiff in CNN defamation trial celebrates 'vindication' following courtroom drama: 'I'm glad it's over'

It's been a long three years, and to have the outcome that we wanted, which was vindication publicly, is an incredible feeling. And I'm glad that it's over, and we don't have to spend more years and more time arguing about the meaning of a word,

Young said

I think that this was a good outcome for both of us,

Young said

I'm glad it's over,

Young told Fox News Digital in an interview

We were able to clear Zak's name, get a verdict, and then settle so he can avoid protracted appeals and move on with his life,

Freedman told Fox News Digital

I hope that they learn something from this experience,

he continued

We remain proud of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN,

CNN said in a statement to Mediaite

David Axelrod (political consultant)lead counsel

This case is about the truth of this case; it's not about sending a message,

David Axelrod, a lawyer representing CNN, said

This was early enough on in the reporting process when I'm doing the research that I'm allowing for the possibility that this was indeed a scam, this was corruption,

Marquardt said

We ask you to send that message, loud and clear: end this madness, bring American journalism back to the center, bring Walter Cronkite back,

Freedman told jurors

The internal communications certainly make it sound as if the main journalist on the story wanted to ruin the plaintiff, and that there were reasons to believe that ... he was overplaying their hand factually,

University of Florida law professor Lyrissa Lidsky told NPR earlier this month

Do not let CNN rewrite the English language to avoid liability in this case,

attorney Devin Freedman told the jurors during his closing arguments on Thursday

I’m never going to publish a story that is factually incorrect or unfair,

Lumley said on Tuesday, insisting

Gonna hold you to that one cowboy!” ... It’s your funeral, bucko.”

In another message, Marquardt said of Young

I reported the facts. I reported what I found. Everything in there was factual, accurate and, I believe, fair,

Marquardt said on the stand on Monday, defending his reporting

I hear a lot of profanity at work,

one producer said

Charles Glasserformer Bloomberg News media legal counsel

My advice to CNN would be to cough it up. Settle,

former Bloomberg News media legal counsel Charles Glasser added

You needed a bad guy for your scandal story,

Freedman told Marquardt at one point

Few things are more common in newsrooms than journalists using tough and indignant language to refer to persons whose misdeeds they believe they are in the process of exposing,

the network acknowledged in a filing last month

The story is full of holes like Swiss cheese, ... Agree. The story is 80% emotion, 20% obscured fact lol.”

breaking news editor Megan Trimble wrote, while senior national security editor Thomas Lumley replied

You have a tool to save American media. It's called punitive damages. Use it,

Freedman said