Catherine Herridge Shares Union Statement Condemning CBS News’ Seizure of Her Notes

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.

Important update via @sagaftra https://t.co/4LAYhnpil5

— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) February 22, 2024

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.

“Many of us were shocked after Herridge was included in layoffs this month, but those concerns have increased after CBS officials took the unusual step of seizing her files, computers and records, including information on privileged sources,” he wrote.

“Given the other layoffs and declining revenues, the inclusion of Herridge was defended by the network as a painful but necessary measure. But then something strange happened. The network grabbed 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 confidential material from both her stints at Fox and CBS,” he added.

“The heavy-handed approach to the files left many wondering if it was the result of the past reported tension over stories,” he wrote.

Herridge had reportedly encountered roadblocks from higher-ups over her Hunter Biden coverage and had also clashed with CBS News President Ingrid-Ciprian Matthews.

Turley also wrote that current and former CBS employees told him they could not recall the company ever taking such a step before. He added, “One former CBS journalist said that many employees ‘are confused why [Herridge] was laid off, as one of the correspondents who broke news regularly and did a lot of original reporting.'”

According to Turley, the timing of Herridge’s termination is suspicious.

“She was pursuing stories that were unwelcomed by the Biden White House and many Democratic powerhouses, including the Hur report on Joe Biden’s diminished mental capacity, the Biden corruption scandal and the Hunter Biden laptop. She continued to pursue these stories despite reports of pushback from CBS executives, including CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews,” he wrote.

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