Former CNN reporters Alex Marquardt and Eva McKend join Al Jazeera

Alex Marquardt, a former CNN national security correspondent, and Eva McKend, a former CNN political reporter, are joining Al Jazeera, according to multiple reports. Both outlets say Marquardt and McKend will work for Al Jazeera English. The announcement follows Marquardt’s exit from CNN, which has been linked by one source to a high-profile defamation dispute. Fox News identifies the case as a $5 million matter brought in 2025 by U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young against Marquardt and CNN. The New York Post also describes Marquardt as being at the center of that $5 million defamation case and states that he and McKend are now moving to Al Jazeera. The reports do not provide additional details about the roles they will hold at Al Jazeera, or when they begin. Both sources frame the move as a change in employment after their time at CNN.