Gannett says it will appeal an Oklahoma District Court decision that found company liable for defamation, saying newspaper did not know what it reported was false and it wasn't published with malicious intent; judge awards plaintiff US$25M

MCLEAN, Virginia , February 8, 2024 (press release) –

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) was named as a defendant in a lawsuit titled Scott O. Sapulpa v. Gannett Co., Inc. in District Court in the State of Oklahoma.

Following a trial, a jury returned a verdict finding Gannett liable for defamation and awarded plaintiff actual damages of $5 million. The jury also found in favor of the plaintiff on claims of actual malice and intentional infliction of emotional distress and awarded him $20 million in punitive damages.

Gannett is disappointed with the verdict as no credible evidence was presented to the jury that The Oklahoman acted with any awareness that what was reported was false or with any intention to harm the plaintiff in this case. Gannett believes that the jury verdict was a result of errors in the way the Court administered the case and a flawed trial process.

Gannett intends to seek appellate review of the case.

The amount of damages awarded, if any, would be covered by insurance and Gannett does not expect a material impact to its financials or liquidity.

ABOUT GANNETT

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and digitally-focused media and marketing solutions company committed to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions with our Pulitzer Prize-winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Our current portfolio of media assets includes The USA TODAY NETWORK, which includes USA TODAY, and local media organizations in 43 states in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom. We also own digital marketing services companies under the brand LocaliQ, which provide a cloud-based platform of products to enable small and medium-sized businesses to accomplish their marketing goals. In addition, our portfolio includes one of the largest media-owned events businesses in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures.

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Source: Gannett Co., Inc.

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