When Paramount Global on Tuesday cut 800 employees across various departments, CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge was among them.
Ms. Herridge is a longtime correspondent renowned for her investigative journalism. Her layoff has drawn special attention, given her involvement in a significant legal battle concerning the protection of a source, for which she has asserted her First Amendment rights.
Ms. Herridge, previously with Fox News, penned a report in 2017 exploring an investigation into Yanping Chen, a Chinese American scientist. This case has escalated to the point where Ms. Herridge faces potential contempt of court charges for withholding the identity of her source, risking daily fines.
She “clashed with CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews — a sharp-elbowed executive who was investigated in 2021 over favoritism and discriminatory hiring and management practices,” the New York Post reported.
One source told the paper that CBS News, which employs about 2,000 people, got hit with 20 job cuts. Among those who got pink slips were Christina Ruffini, a political correspondent who has been featured on “CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell” and “CBS Mornings,” and Jeff Pegues, the chief national affairs and justice correspondent.
Pamela Falk, a correspondent who covered the United Nations, was also laid off, according to sources.
The staff reduction has led to a wave of discontent within CBS, especially against the backdrop of corporate leadership’s compensation, with Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish’s $32 million salary marking a stark contrast to the company’s financial struggles.
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