CBS News returns hundreds of docs to terminated reporter

CBS News has returned hundreds of pages of reporting materials to Catherine Herridge, whom the network fired in February.

Herridge's termination and the network's retention of her files prompted considerable scrutiny, including from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who called the seizure of her files "unprecedented" and launched an inquiry into the episode.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) on Monday confirmed that "a representative of our union monitored the return of several boxes containing Catherine Herridge's reporting materials from her CBS News office in Washington D.C. Herridge is currently reviewing the materials."

"We welcome CBS News' reversal which came after SAG-AFTRA's intervention and widespread media coverage that underscored shared concerns about press freedom and the First Amendment," the union continued. "The resolution of this matter sends a strong message of protection for basic First Amendment principles. We further hope the public focus now turns to SAG-AFTRA's continued efforts to support a Press Shield law that provides additional federal protections for journalists and their confidential sources."

Herridge has not issued a public statement on the matter as of press time and it is unclear whether the network has returned the entirety of her files.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.