Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

CBS seizes confidential files of fired reporter pursuing Hunter Biden laptop story in ‘unprecedented’ move: sources
NY Post ^ | 2/22/23 | Alexandra Steigrad

Posted on 02/23/2024 2:17:15 AM PST by Libloather

The acclaimed CBS reporter who was investigating the Hunter Biden laptop scandal before she was fired last week had her personal files seized by the network in an “unprecedented” move, sources told The Post on Thursday.

Catherine Herridge — who is the middle of a First Amendment case being closely watched by journalists nationwide — was among 20 CBS News staffers let go as part of a larger purge of hundreds of employees at parent company Paramount Global.

Her firing had stunned co-workers, but the network’s decision to hold on to her personal materials, along with her work laptop where she may have other confidential info, has left many staffers shaken, according to insiders.

“It’s so extraordinary,” a source familiar with the situation told The Post, noting that the files — which are presumptively now the property of CBS News — most likely contain confidential material from Herridge’s stints at both Fox and CBS.

The source said the network boxed up all her personal belongings except for Herridge’s notes and files and informed her that it would decide what — if anything — would be returned to her.

“They never seize documents [when you’re let go],” a second source close to the network said.

“They want to see what damaging documents she has.”

A CBS spokesperson pushed back on claims that the network plans to keep any sensitive information belonging to Herridge.

“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,” the rep told The Post.

“We are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf – with her representative present as she requested.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: catherineherridge; cbs; fbi; firstamendment; garland; herridge; hunter; laptop; media; msm; reporter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last
Squirrel - 10 o'clock.

Biden says two journalists have told him they will have to leave the country if Trump wins election because he has threatened them with jail

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13114761/joe-biden-journalists-trump-jail-couric-california.html

1 posted on 02/23/2024 2:17:15 AM PST by Libloather
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Libloather

Big Brother (aka The Big Guy) is Oscar Mike.


2 posted on 02/23/2024 2:24:08 AM PST by RoosterRedux (A person who seeks the truth with a closed mind will never find it. He will only confirm his bias.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Libloather

I think that from this point conservative reporters will keep their information on a personal flash drive


3 posted on 02/23/2024 2:31:02 AM PST by SauronOfMordor (Either you will rule. Or you will be ruled. There is no other choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Libloather

And what, exactly, is CBS sooooo worried about?

I submit that the answer is axiomatic.


4 posted on 02/23/2024 2:35:10 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SaveFerris

Bkmk


5 posted on 02/23/2024 2:49:45 AM PST by sauropod (Ne supra crepidam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Libloather

CBS= “Communist Bull Sh!t”


6 posted on 02/23/2024 3:04:40 AM PST by spincaster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Libloather

So now the press is using lawfare against the press.

Perhaps Shakespeare was right about what needs to be done with the lawyers.


7 posted on 02/23/2024 3:08:05 AM PST by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again," )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Libloather

I would think she has backup drives.


8 posted on 02/23/2024 3:09:27 AM PST by wardamneagle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Libloather

Is CBS doing this at the behest of Joe? Since Herridge is a more mainstream reporter, a solid story about the Hunter Biden laptop to the masses vs. hearing it, like we have, from Conservative sites where it likely wouldn’t be believed, would be so damaging to Joe and open a Pandoras box.


9 posted on 02/23/2024 3:11:24 AM PST by vivenne (⁹)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wardamneagle

They want her info so Joe can review it and counter it


10 posted on 02/23/2024 3:12:08 AM PST by vivenne (⁹)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: vivenne

Is CBS doing this at the behest of Joe?


No way. Joe is too clean, and too senile.


11 posted on 02/23/2024 3:16:25 AM PST by Fester Chugabrew (In a world of parrots and lemmings, be a watchdog.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SaveFerris

They got their orders from the CIA.


12 posted on 02/23/2024 3:25:51 AM PST by Husker24 (Pp)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Husker24

Or their paycheck from George Soros.


13 posted on 02/23/2024 3:29:20 AM PST by Fester Chugabrew (In a world of parrots and lemmings, be a watchdog.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: SauronOfMordor; SaveFerris; sauropod; fella; spincaster; wardamneagle; Fester Chugabrew; ...
The source said the network boxed up all her personal belongings except for Herridge’s notes and files and informed her that it would decide what — if anything — would be returned to her.

“They never seize documents [when you’re let go],” a second source close to the network said.

With all due respect, in a company they ALWAYS “seize” the employee’s work papers and laptop when they’re fired. This is SOP. Unless there is a contract, you are an employee at will and all “your” files, customer lists, electronic documents, presentations, and laptop are in fact not yours but CORPORATE PROPERTY.

This source is either a plant or 18 years old.

“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,” the rep told The Post.

“We are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf – with her representative present as she requested.”

This, too, is SOP: the employee is often told by their manager that their job is being eliminated, HR is there to explain ongoing benefits, healthcare, severance, outplacement services, and then the employee is either escorted out or left alone to leave if there isn’t a risk they’ll flip out. Their network access is disabled, ID badge is collected, and (if the company is ethical) they’ll offer the employee the option of coming back after-hours to pack up their personal effects with their manager or security standing by, or the company will box up their stuff and send it home.

To be clear, CBS is a media dump. I have zero doubt that they would LOVE to put “conservative” sources’ lives at risk.

That said, it is entirely plausible that the SOP of collecting a terminated employees’ laptop and files etc. is being hyper magnified with Herridge.

I suspect some of this magnification is because people have little idea that collection of property is SOP. This is the first recession since 2008 and thus it’s been 16 years since we’ve had mass firings. There are a lotta noobs in the workforce. Parenthetically, lots of employees have printouts of the Really Special Stuff. Herridge prolly does, too.

I also bet a bigly part of this magnification is from conservative paranoia. To be fair, it is well-founded paranoia. But as anyone who carries knows, you must ALWAYS practice situational awareness.

Let’s turn the tables: if Geraldo Rivera’s computer etc was appropriated after he exited Fox, and the left got their knickers in a twist, we’d cry BS.

What this story really shows, is how easy it is to trigger some people nowadays. That malleability is being weaponized. If you REALLY want to play out the scenario, be alert for a more important story that will get less clicks because everyone’s navel-gazing over here.

14 posted on 02/23/2024 3:32:54 AM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Libloather
A CBS spokesperson pushed back on claims that the network plans to keep any sensitive information belonging to Herridge.

For anyone who believes this, I have a mansion in Palm Beach I will sell for the low, low price of just $18 million.

15 posted on 02/23/2024 3:37:41 AM PST by Fresh Wind (Nothing says "Democracy" like throwing your opponent into jail.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

I certainly would think that anybody that did that type of work would keep backups on a flash drive, in the cloud perhaps. On a CD. Copywrite if possible.

Musicians have been instructed to do this over the last 30 something years... reporter’s, writers etcetera and need to have their own publishing. It’s easy to do, requires a lawyer simply establish a LLC. Anybody in that type of work that doesn’t do that is a fool.


16 posted on 02/23/2024 3:40:35 AM PST by Clutch Martin ("The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob
Is CBS also claiming ownership of the files from her Fox News Channel days?

Did those files become the property of CBS when Herridge joined them or are they her property? They certainly are not work product from CBS.

-PJ

17 posted on 02/23/2024 3:45:28 AM PST by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: All

CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge’s firing stunned co-workers........bur CBS’ unprecedented decision to hold on to her personal materials, and her work laptop where she may have other confidential info, has left many staffers shaken.


The “gentle, kindly old man” Joe Biden has struck again.

Anyone daring to look into whoring cokehead Hunter Biden’s
flagrant multiple misdeeds is fair game for “kindly old” Joe.


18 posted on 02/23/2024 3:50:19 AM PST by Liz (Political correctness is tyranny with manners. Charlton Heston.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Libloather

Remember the old Russian maxim: There is no news in ‘Izvestia’ and there is no truth in ‘Pravda’. Apparently we can do just as well with our sources of “journalism”.


19 posted on 02/23/2024 3:51:03 AM PST by Stosh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SaveFerris

It is, indeed, self-evident, and also a sad, sad state of affairs in the US that a once respected news organization is so afraid of the truth that they would do this.


20 posted on 02/23/2024 3:52:02 AM PST by norwaypinesavage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson