Freedom of the Press Foundation asked a federal court to unseal two Defense Department documents at the center of journalist Catherine Herridge’s fight to protect confidential sources. Herridge was held in contempt and faces an $800-per-day fine, now on hold pending Supreme Court review, for refusing to identify sources tied to reporting on scientist Yangping Chen and a university removed from the Pentagon’s Tuition Assistance program on national-security grounds.
Why it matters: This matters for press freedom because courts compelling source disclosure can chill investigative reporting, especially on national-security issues. The immediate issue is not a software flaw but whether secret government records can be used to justify forcing a reporter to reveal sources.
Freedom of the Press Foundation
2026.08.28
98% relevant
This is the underlying FPF action itself: a motion to unseal documents the court considered in fining Catherine Herridge for refusing to reveal a source, adding that the records concern the FBI probe, are no longer tied to an active investigation, and are not classified.
Freedom of the Press Foundation
2026.08.26
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct source-protection and court-secrecy story centered on FPF’s Aug. 26, 2026 motion to unseal sealed Defense Department records in Catherine Herridge’s contempt case.
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