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- Katherine Herridge was fired from CBS News in a layoff earlier this month
- CBS labor union SAG-AFTRA accused the company of seizing her notes
- CBS claims it has not reviewed her notes and is willing to return them.
CBS News has fired a high-profile reporter who was covering the investigation into the Biden family, but the network is accused of seizing her personal notes and the network says her union is “completely inadequate.” The act is described as “extremely unusual.”
Veteran national security and intelligence reporter Katherine Herridge was among hundreds of CBS employees laid off by parent company Paramount last week.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing CBS employees, said in a statement Thursday that it “strongly condemns CBS News’ decision to seize from its offices Katherine Herridge’s press notebooks and research findings containing confidential source information.” said.
“This action is deeply concerning to our union because it sets a dangerous precedent for all media professionals and threatens the very foundations of the First Amendment,” the statement added. .
However, CBS denied claims that Herridge’s personal files were improperly seized and told DailyMail.com that it plans to return the materials to Herridge.
A CBS News spokesperson said: “The Duchess Kate’s personal belongings were delivered to her home a week ago and we are ready to immediately pack the remaining files on her behalf. If necessary, we will do so in the presence of a representative.”
CBS said: “We respect her request not to view her files, and due to concerns about confidential sources, the office she used has been kept secure since her departure.”
The network said it was “awaiting a response” from Mr. Herridge or his representative to send the forwarded file back to the reporter.
Herridge recently covered the House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on the handling of classified documents, and the criminal prosecution of Hunter Biden.
Her inclusion in the recent layoffs puzzled some industry insiders, as she regularly broke news and brought scoops to CBS.
Mr Herridge has not commented publicly on her dismissal other than to share the union’s statement on the matter with X.
“It is completely inappropriate for an employer to fire a reporter and take the highly unusual step of preserving and searching the reporter’s file, which includes the identification and information of confidential sources,” the union said.
The union added: “The retention of media professionals’ reporting materials by their former employers is a significant break with traditional practice, which supports the immediate return of reporting materials.”
The New York Post, citing people familiar with the matter, claimed that Herridge was pursuing a story related to Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop and had “encountered roadblocks” from management over reporting on his eldest son. .
Herridge authenticated the laptop in November 2022, which the Post first reported on in October 2020.
Separately, Herridge is in the midst of a high-profile legal battle over his refusal to reveal the source of an article he wrote in 2017.
A judge has asked him to reveal the sources used in a series of articles about Chinese-American scientists who were investigated by the FBI but were not charged with wrongdoing.
Herridge could be fined up to $5,000 per day if he refuses to be interviewed under oath in the case.
Fox News, where she worked at the time, is paying the legal costs of the case.
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