Renowned law professor and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley dropped a bombshell on Thursday about the recent layoffs at CBS News, including celebrated investigative journalist Catherine Herridge. Turley reported in a column that after Herridge was fired, "CBS officials took the unusual step of seizing her files, computers, and records, including information on privileged sources," which allegedly violated her contract.
According to Turley, multiple current and former CBS employees were stunned:
I have spoken confidentially with current and former CBS employees who have stated that they could not recall the company ever taking such a step before. 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.”
The last part of the above quote explains precisely why, in the eyes of many, Herridge was dumped by CBS: She "broke news regularly and did a lot of original reporting." In other words, the veteran journalist practiced journalism as it was intended to be practiced — vs. the bastardization of news by liberal media sock puppets.
🚨 CBS reportedly seized the files of Catherine Herridge amid her surprise firing. https://t.co/ZtDePkCoiY
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) February 22, 2024
Here's more from Turley's column:
A former CBS manager, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he had “never heard of anything like this.” He attested to the fact that, in past departures, journalists took all of their files and office contents. Indeed, the company would box up everything from cups to post-its for departing reporters. He said the holding of the material was “outrageous” and clearly endangered confidential sources.
A source within the union, SAG-AFTRA, confirmed that it has raised this controversy with CBS and remains extremely concerned about the effect of this action on journalistic practices and source confidentiality. The union believes this is “very unusual” and goes far beyond this individual case. “It is a matter of principle,” a union spokesperson added. “It is a matter of serious concern. We are considering all of our options.”
[...]
CBS is suggesting that it will allow unnamed individuals to rifle through Herridge’s files to determine what will remain with the network and what will be returned to the reporter. That could fundamentally alter how reporters operate and how willing sources are to trust assurances that they will be protected.
Smells fishy as hell, doesn't it? Maybe this will clear it up, as Turley reported (emphasis, mine):
The timing of Herridge’s termination immediately raised suspicions in Washington. 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.
And there it is. Herridge's superlative investigative journalist skills proved to be her undoing at CBS News. Neither liberal CBS muckety-mucks nor Joe Biden and his radical left White House could control Herridge, so she was unceremoniously kicked to the curb.
Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume was also stunned by the news.
This looks suspicious. I've worked at two newspapers, a wire service and [as] a ssyndicated columnist. I also spent 23 years at ABC News. When I left those jobs, none of those outlets asked for my files. I've never heard of this happening.
The news business in which Hume worked bears little resemblance to the "news" business of today.
This looks suspicious. I've worked at two newspapers, a wire service and a syndicated columnist. I also spent 23 years at ABC News. When I left those jobs, none of those outlets asked for my files. I've never heard of this happening. https://t.co/YQyg7t4gMd
— Brit Hume (@brithume) February 22, 2024
Brent Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center, bluntly declared: "This cannot stand."
This cannot stand. If CBS wants to salvage a shred of its journalistic credibility, it will apologize to Ms. Herridge on-air today and return everything to her immediately.
Bozell was right, of course, but the chance of that happening lies somewhere near minus zero.
This cannot stand. If CBS wants to salvage a shred of its journalistic credibility, it will apologize to Ms. Herridge on-air today and return everything to her immediately. https://t.co/gb8xQexN5k
— Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) February 22, 2024
Katy Grimes, investigative journalist and editor-in-chief of the California Globe, called the news "chilling."
This is chilling: After firing acclaimed investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, CBS officials took the unusual step of seizing her files, computers, and records, including information on privileged sources.
Chilling indeed — and is it a harbinger of worse to come?
This is chilling: After firing acclaimed investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, CBS officials took the unusual step of seizing her files, computers and records, including information on privileged sources.https://t.co/pUEUii9aOb
— Katy Grimes (@KATYSaccitizen) February 22, 2024
And the cacophonic band plays on.
The Bottom Line
With little imagination required, any legitimate journalist can envision the "chilling" (as Katy Grimes called it), reality of what's going on, here.
While the unexpected firing of Catherine Herridge and the subsequent seizure of her files don't equate with the censorship of totalitarian governments or the book burnings of Hitler's Nazis, there's little doubt that the far-left will continue to do its damnedest in pursuit of what would amount to state-run media.
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