{
  "id": 2272551,
  "title": "Jury says The New York Times defamed Alabama basketball player with incorrect story about shooting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/jury-says-the-new-york-times-defamed-alabama-basketball-player-with",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T01:53:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/alabama-kai-spears-new-york-times-lawsuit-752087777b8694749a5305866ac15b13"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, an Alabama jury has awarded $9.25 million in damages to Kai Spears, a former University of Alabama basketball player, after finding that The New York Times had defamed him. Spears alleged that The Times incorrectly reported that he was present at a fatal shooting in January 2023. The newspaper had cited an anonymous source in its report, stating that Spears was a passenger in the car involved in the shooting. However, the Times later acknowledged the error and corrected the story in an editor's note. After a nine-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, an eight-member jury returned a verdict in Spears' favor. Spears' attorney, Matt Glover, expressed satisfaction with the decision, believing it would set a positive precedent for journalism across the country. The Times, however, is reviewing its legal options and remains disappointed with the jury's decision, stating that it \"found The Times liable for an honest mistake\" and disagreed with the verdict and the amount of damages awarded. The incident involved three other basketball players from the university, who were also present at the shooting, which resulted in the death of a 23-year-old mother. The Times' spokesperson, Charlie Stadtlander, acknowledged that the jury's verdict and award were contrary to law and not supported by the evidence.",
  "summary": "TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — 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. Kai Spears, who played…",
  "key_points": [
    "Alabama jury awards $9.25M to Kai Spears for NYT defamation",
    "NYT incorrectly reported Spears presence at fatal shooting",
    "NYT later corrected story, jury found error honest mistake"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The verdict sets a precedent that holds news organizations accountable for factual errors, even if made in good faith, and may influence their approach to reporting and correcting mistakes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Jury says The New York Times defamed Alabama basketball player with incorrect story about shooting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/jury-says-the-new-york-times-defamed-alabama-basketball-player-with-2272997",
        "published": "2026-08-21T01:27:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}