Exclusive | Ex-CBS reporter Debora Patta — fired in wake of

Exclusive | Ex-CBS reporter Debora Patta — fired in wake of

Ousted CBS News journalist Debora Patta — whose interview with Mike Huckabee on Gaza landed her in an issue months before she acquired laid off this week — is seeking to sue the network, The Post has realized

The South Africa-based international correspondent is “speaking to lawyers” after CBS News slashed her job just months after she got here under hearth from Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, who claimed an Aug. 7 interview he gave her was closely edited and misrepresented his views on the state of affairs in Gaza.

Patta’s exit was half of a round of roughly 100 cuts orchestrated by CBS News president Tom Cibrowski. Sources speculated that the network’s new editor in chief Bari Weiss, who’s recognized for her staunchly pro-Israel views, performed a job in the determination to ax the 61-year-old reporter.

Ousted international correspondent Debora Patta is “speaking to lawyers” after she was terminated by CBS News on Wednesday. CBS

Patta signed a new three-year contract in August, according to a source with information of the matter, who added that CBS will not be giving her a full payout.

A former CBS staffer said the network might not have an obligation to take action. That is determined by what her contract stipulates — which can make a breach-of-contract declare unlikely.

“She is probably looking to sue over her Middle East coverage,” the individual said.

CBS News declined to remark. Patta didn’t return a number of requests for remark.

It’s unclear whether or not David Ellison, CEO of CBS News mum or dad Paramount Skydance, performed a job in Patta’s firing. He beforehand voiced a dedication to unbiased journalism to Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr — a condition for the company to OK this past summer season’s $8 billion merger between Skydance and Paramount.

Both Carr and President Trump have accused CBS News of liberal bias. In July, the network paid $16 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit accusing CBS News of “deceptively” modifying a “60 Minutes” interview to make his 2024 opponent Kamala Harris look better.

Sources speculated that CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss performed a job in the determination to put off Patta. Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press

Huckabee put Patta on blast when he accused CBS News of deliberately modifying his four-minute sitdown along with her to craft a “different story than the one they had.” The former Arkansas governor claimed on X on Aug. 8 that his comments on stories of hunger in Gaza had been misrepresented.

“Ever wonder how the media edits an interview to give you a different story than the one they had?” Huckabee wrote.

He then added a hyperlink to the full transcript on the US embassy web site, exhibiting what was edited out of the CBS News interview. For occasion, Patta requested Huckabee whether or not he’s “deeply troubled by images of starving children.” Huckabee replied, “I’m moved when the photos are verified.”

Patta’s interview with Mike Huckabee drew criticism with the US ambassador to Israel claiming it misrepresented his views on the battle in Gaza CBS News

In the unedited alternate, Huckabee answered: “I’m moved when the photos are verified. I mean, we’re all moved when you see someone, especially a child who’s starving. But the New York Times published a picture on the front page of what was purported to be a starving child. Turns out the child had a birth defect and had not been starving.”

He continued: “There were other pictures, for example, that were published of starving children in Gaza. Turned out one of them was from Yemen. One was from 2017. There was another photo that appeared to be somewhat staged, with photographer all set up to get pictures of a few people herded into a small area.”

The interview closed with Patta asking Huckabee about claims that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

Patta was given a new three-year contract in August, according to a source. CBS News

“If Israel is attempting genocide, they’re really, really bad at it. They could have had genocide on October the 8th,” Huckabee said in the aired piece.

In the full alternate, he said: “They could have dropped a few bombs and have annihilated all Gazans, it’s not that big an area. They certainly had the capacity to do it, and saw that in the 12-day war with Iran. It is the most ridiculous thing in the world to say that Israel is committing genocide. That’s absurd. On its face, it’s absurd. If they were trying to commit genocide, it would not have taken them 22 months.”

Still, Patta’s exit after 12 years at CBS News got here as a shock inside the network.

CBS News was hit with a round of roughly 100 cuts on Wednesday. AFP by way of Getty Images

“Top CBS News executives were appalled by the decision,” a source said, noting that the hard-charging Patta has reported in battle zones including Syria and Ukraine, in addition to the Israel-Hamas warfare.

Patta has also led many of the network’s best investigations in current years, the individual added.

Her exit leaves a gaping gap as many correspondents in Europe “refuse” to set foot in battle zones, the individual said.

“It will be very challenging to cover the news,” the source added.

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