Opinion
CBS has been criticized for seizing files, computers and recordings of acclaimed investigative journalist Catherine Herridge.
Herridge, a veteran reporter covering national security and intelligence, was fired by CBS News earlier this month, a surprise casualty of the network’s layoffs considering her award-winning ability to deliver breaking news and inside scoops.
According to the New York Post, the journalist had investigated the Hunter Biden laptop scandal before being fired and had “encountered obstacles from higher ups”.
In addition to the laptop investigation, Herridge had covered the House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report into his handling of classified documents and the criminal charges against First Son.
The former Fox News reporter is also in the midst of a First Amendment court case, in which he is protecting the identity of a source used for a report written in 2017 about a Chinese-American scientist investigated by the FBI but never accused of wrongdoing.
Herridge faces fines of up to $5,000 a day if she refuses to be interviewed under oath in the case, a situation that critics have called an attack on the principles of press freedom.
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Herridge has some seized materials
Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar and former CBS analyst, wrote an editorial describing the situation currently affecting Herridge.
Citing confidential sources who are both current and former network employees, Turley explains that the seizure of a reporter’s material led to riots at CBS headquarters.
“The timing of Herridge’s firing immediately raised suspicions in Washington,” Hurley wrote. “He was pursuing stories that were not welcome in the Biden White House and many Democratic powers.”
What happened next should send shivers down the spines of journalists who work or think about working at CBS.
“The network took Herridge’s notes and files and informed her that it would decide what, if anything, would be turned over to her. The files likely contain classified material relating to her stints at both Fox and CBS,” she said.
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A shocking effort to intimidate
Turley described the seizure of Herridge’s materials as “nothing short of shocking,” noting that “journalists are generally allowed to walk away with their files” when parting ways with a media company.
It’s not just Turley making the accusations. SAG-AFTRA, the CBS workers union, also accused the company of seizing his notes.
In a public statement, the union said it “strongly condemns CBS News’ decision to seize Catherine Herridge’s reporters’ notes and research from her office, including classified source information.”
They describe CBS’ actions as “setting a dangerous precedent for all media professionals and threatening the very foundations of the First Amendment.”
Herridge has yet to release a statement on the matter, though he shared SAG-AFTRA’s statements in what appears to be a nod to their affirmative claims.
CBS News denied the claims and told the Daily Mail that they intended to return the materials to their recently deceased journalist.
“Catherine’s personal belongings were delivered to her home a week ago, and we stand ready to immediately pack up the rest of her documents on her behalf – with her representative present as she requested,” a spokesperson for the network said.
It appears to be an ambiguous admission that his materials remained in his office and remained that way for at least a week. Don’t worry, though, as CBS promised that no one looked into his files and the office remained inaccessible.
“We respected his request not to review the files and, out of our concern for confidential sources, the office he occupied remained secure following his departure,” the spokesperson said.
However, Turley’s sources convey a sense of fear and dread over the actions taken by CBS during this time.
A former CBS reporter claims he had “never seen a document seizure from a departing reporter, and that the move sent a ‘chilling signal’ within the ranks of CBS.”
The controversy serves as a reminder of the importance of journalistic integrity and the need to protect the rights of journalists to carry out their work without fear of reprisal. CBS appears to have discarded this principle.
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