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Jury says The New York Times defamed Alabama basketball player with incorrect story about shooting
The jury found the Times liable after a nine-day trial, and Spears said the false report caused emotional distress and false-light injury.
- On Thursday, August 20, an Alabama jury awarded former University of Alabama men's basketball player Kai Spears $9.25 million in damages after finding The New York Times defamed him by inaccurately linking him to a 2023 fatal shooting.
- Sportswriter Billy Witz incorrectly placed Spears at the scene of the Tuscaloosa shooting in a March 2023 report, relying on one "highly placed" anonymous source who was later revealed to be a team manager, not Spears.
- During the nine-day trial, attorney Matt Glover argued the newspaper set an "artificial deadline" for the story, while defense attorney Michael L. Bell countered that Witz's actions were "a case of an honest mistake."
- NYT spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander stated the organization is "reviewing its legal options" following the loss, while Spears' father, Christian, said the jury correctly held the outlet accountable for its actions.
- This ruling marks the first time in more than 50 years that The New York Times has lost a defamation lawsuit in the United States, signaling potential shifts in how the publication handles anonymous sourcing verification.
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32 Articles
32 Articles
Jury rules New York Times defamed Alabama basketball player with incorrect story about shooting, awards $9.25M
An Alabama jury on Thursday awarded $9.25 million in damages after finding that The New York Times defamed a college basketball player by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa.
·Chicago, United States
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New York Times loses defamation suit, ordered to pay $9.25M to former Alabama basketball player
The New York Times lost a defamation lawsuit brought by former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears. An Alabama jury awarded $9.25 million in damages.
·New York, United States
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Associated Press News+25 Reposted by 25 other sources
Jury says The New York Times defamed Alabama basketball player with incorrect story about shooting
An Alabama jury finds The New York Times defamed a college basketball player by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources32
Leaning Left8Leaning Right4Center19Last UpdatedBias Distribution61% Center
Bias Distribution
- 61% of the sources are Center
61% Center
L 26%
C 61%
13%
Factuality
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