Journalist Catherine Herridge Faces Contempt of Court for Protecting Sources

Case Highlights Clash Between Press Freedom and Privacy Rights

Veteran journalist Catherine Herridge, who previously worked for Fox News and now works at CBS, is facing potential contempt of court for refusing to reveal her sources for stories about Yanping Chen, a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.
Chen has sued the government, claiming that details about the probe were leaked to damage her reputation. Her lawyers are now asking U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to hold Herridge in contempt, which could result in steep monetary fines until she complies.
The case represents a clash between a journalist's professional obligation to protect sources and an individual's right to pursue compensation over perceived privacy violations by the government.
Herridge's stories, published by Fox News in 2017, examined Chen's alleged ties to the Chinese military and whether she used a professional school she founded in Virginia to help the Chinese government gather information about American servicemembers.
Media advocates are closely watching the case, arguing that forcing journalists to betray a promise of confidentiality could deter sources from providing information that could expose government wrongdoing.