>> 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.