>> ♪ ♪
>> IT LOOKS LIKE COVINGTON HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENT SANDMAN SCORED A
LEGAL WIN AFTER BEING SMEARED BY
THE MEDIA.
CNN SETTLED A 250-MILLION
DOLLARS SUIT FIRED OVER THE
CONFRONTATION WITH THE NATIVE
AMERICAN MAN THAT MADE THE
TEENAGER LOOK LIKE THE
AGGRESSOR.
A LOOK BACK AT SOME MEDIA
COVERAGE.
>> A STUDENT HARASSING AN OLDER
NATIVE-AMERICAN MAN.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE THAT YOUNG MAN
TO ME IS TAUNTING THE
NATIVE-AMERICAN VIETNAM VET.
>> THE FACE-TO-FACE
CONFRONTATION IGNITING CHARGES
OF RACISM.
>> THE KID NICK SANDMAN DOESN'T
SEEM TO BE AFRAID.
HE MADE A CHOICE TO MAKE IT INTO
A STANDOFF.
THAT WAS NOT A GOOD CHOICE.
>> GREG, BLOOD BOILING?
>> CUOMO DOESN'T LOOK GOOD
THERE.
I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY
THIS WAS SETTLED FOR.
WE WILL NEVER KNOW.
THIS IS REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR
EVERYBODY ON THE PLANET BECAUSE
IT'S A TURNING POINT.
BEFORE THERE WAS NOT ANY
CONSEQUENCES TO SOCIAL MEDIA
MOBRY.
SOMEBODY COULD DIG UP SOMETHING
FROM JUAN'S PAST AND DESTROY
YOU.
NOT YOU, SHANNON BREAM.
>> [LAUGHING].
>> NOW AS YOU KNOW SOMEBODY CAN
SUE YOU, THAT CHANGES YOUR
BEHAVIOR.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE DEEP POCKETS
AND YOUR COMPANY HAS TO BE
WORRIED.
I THINK THIS COULD PUT AN END TO
THE SWARM.
THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS WHEN
SOMEBODY FINDS OUT YOU SAID
SOMETHING WHEN YOU WERE 16.
I HOPE THEY GOT SOMETHING GOOD.
>> JUAN, ISN'T THIS IS A
LEARNING MOMENT FOR REPORTERS
WERE BE INTERESTED IN THE FACTS
AND NOT THE NARRATIVE?
>> I HOPE YOU ARE ALWAYS
INTERESTED IN THE FACTS FIRST.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE
CNN SAY CNN ADMITTED THEY DID
WRONG.
I KNOW LAWYERS.
THE LAWYERS SAY IF WE IS TO GO
THROUGH A TRIAL, WE HAVE TO GO
THROUGH EMAILS.
I DON'T THINK THE KID GOT ALL OF
THAT MONY.
>> HE GOT 10%.
>> EXACTLY.
>> STILL SUING NBC AND THE
"WASHINGTON POST" AND 13 MORE
DEFENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.
THEY WILL GET HIT WITH LAWSUITS.
>> WHEN YOU GO INTO DISCOVERY, I
HAD CLIENTS.
THIS IS HOW MUCH IT WILL COST TO
GO TO TRIAL.
IN SETTLEMENT WHAT DO YOU WANT
TO DO?
WE DON'T WANT ALL OF THIS STUFF
OUT THERE, WE WILL PAY.
OTHER CLIENTS SAID WE ARE NOT
PAYING A DIME.
IF WE PAY THIS PERSON, THE NEXT
ONE WILL WANT IT.
CNN HAD TO MAKE CALCULATIONS
BEYOND THE LEGAL ISSUES.
>> BRIAN, AREN'T THERE QUESTIONS
ABOUT HOW THE MEDIA HANDLED
THIS?
THEY WENT AFTER A TEENAGER.
THEY DID IT BECAUSE HE WAS
WEARING A MAGA HAT AT A PRO-LIFE
RALLY.
HIS REPUTATION WAS DESTROYED ON
THE INTERNET FOREVER.
THEN THEY DIDN'T BACK UP AND
GIVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF COVERAGE
TO THE ENTIRE CONTEXT OF THE
STORY AS THEY DID TO THE
IMMEDIATE NARRATIVE THEY PUT
OUT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING,
SHANNON BREAM.
BIG COMPANIES DON'T WANT TO GO
THROUGH IT SO THEY WRITE A
CHECK.
THIS KID ASKED FOR AN APOLOGY.
IF THEY SAID I BLEW IT, IT WOULD
BE OVER.
IF YOU ARE NOT WORRIED ABOUT
YOUR REPUTATION, THIS KID SHOULD
GET A LOT OF MONEY.
HE WILL APPLY TO COLLEGES.
HOW MANY COLLEGES WILL GO:
I DON'T NEED THIS?
>> HE SHOULD NOT GO TO COLLEGE.
TAKE THE MONEY AND START A
BUSINESS.
>> WAIT A MINUTE.
>> I WANT TO MANAGE NICK'S
MONEY.
CALL ME, NICK!
I WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING
FOR YOU.
>> YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE.