by Kristina Wong, Breitbart:
Veteran investigative journalist Catherine Herridge, whom CBS News laid off last week, shared a statement on Friday that appeared to confirm that the network had seized notes from her office after she had been let go — an unusual and heavy-handed move that called into question the network’s motives.
Herridge, who reported on the Justice Department and other national security matters, had been reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop scandal for the network and was in the middle of a First Amendment case after refusing to turn over to an Obama-appointed federal judge the name of a source for an investigative piece she wrote for Fox News in 2017.
“Important update via @sagaftra,” Herridge posted on X, along with the union’s statement.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
The statement came after an article on Tuesday by The Hill columnist and former CBS News legal analyst Jonathan Turley that said CBS News had seized Herridge’s files — a highly unusual practice when a news employee is laid off. It said:
SAG-AFTRA strongly condemns CBS News’ decision to seize Catherine Herridge’s reporter notes and research from her office, including confidential source information. This action is deeply concerning to the union because it sets a dangerous precedent for all media professionals and threatens the very foundation of the First Amendment.
It is completely inappropriate for an employer to lay off a reporter and take the very unusual step of retaining and searching the reporter’s files, inclusive of confidential source identification and information. From a First Amendment standpoint, a media corporation with a commitment to journalism calling a reporter’s research and confidential source reporting “proprietary information” is both shocking and absurd.
The retention of a media professional’s reporting materials by their former employer is a serious break with traditional practices which supports the immediate return of reporting materials. We urge CBS to return this material to Catherine in support of the most basic of First Amendment principles. We are encouraged by recent outreach by CBS News to SAG-AFTRA on this matter, and we are hopeful that it will be resolved shortly.
CBS News denied that it had seized her files in a statement reported by TV Newsner. The network said:
Catherine’s personal belongings were delivered to her home one week ago, and we are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf—with her representative present as she requested. We are awaiting a response from Catherine and/or her representative to do so. We have respected her request to not go through the files, and out of our concern for confidential sources, the office she occupied has remained secure since her departure.
Herridge was laid off by CBS News last week in what was a surprise to media observers, given her long and distinguished track record as an investigative reporter. It was one of about 20 layoffs at the network amid a larger “purge” over declining revenues by parent company Paramount Global, according to the Post.
However, eyebrows were raised after Turley’s revelation that Herridge’s files were seized, suggesting there was something more at play.
