Catherine Herridge, an esteemed investigative journalist formerly with CBS News, recently testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee on press freedoms. During the hearing, she used strong language to express her concerns about media practices.
Herridge accused CBS News of “journalistic rape” for their actions during her termination. Let’s delve into the context:
Contempt of Court and Confidential Sources: Earlier this year, Herridge was held in contempt of court for refusing to disclose her confidential sources related to a national security story. She faced a fine of $800 per day until she revealed these sources.
In her opening statement, Herridge shared the emotional toll this situation took on her and her family, including the fear of losing their home and savings.
CBS News’s Actions: When Herridge was laid off, CBS News locked her out of the building and seized hundreds of pages of her reporting files, including confidential source information. Multiple sources expressed concern that working with Herridge to expose government corruption and misconduct would lead to their identification and exposure.
With the support of her union, Sag-Aftra, Herridge successfully had her records returned.
The Red Line Crossed: Herridge firmly stated that CBS News’s decision to seize her reporting records crossed a red line that should never be crossed by any media organization in the future. She emphasized the importance of protecting confidential sources and investigative journalism.
Support and Impact: Herridge expressed gratitude for the support of fellow journalists and First Amendment organizations. She described CBS’s actions as an “attack on investigative journalism” and even likened the seizure of her records to “journalistic rape.”
This case highlights the delicate balance between press freedom, source protection, and responsible journalism. Herridge’s testimony underscores the need for robust legal protections for journalists and their sources.
BREAKING: Fired and silenced former @CBS correspondent Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge), who is known for her Hunter Biden laptop reporting before she was sacrificed, gives an opening statement to the House Committee Hearing on the Press Act, noting the importance of Press… pic.twitter.com/y607KQcf0w
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) April 11, 2024
Herridge testified before the Judiciary Committee at a hearing focused on the value of the First Amendment and protecting journalistic sources. Veteran journalist Sharyl Atkisson, SAG-AFTRA executive Mary Cavallaro and First Amendment expert Nadine Farid Johnson also delivered testimony.
Atkisson notoriously left CBS News in 2014 after two decades at the network for what she describes as favoritism towards former president Barack Obama. Both Atkisson and Herridge warned of the potential damage to investigative journalism if confidential sources cannot be guaranteed protection.
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