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Brittney Hopper, a former CBS News Los Angeles journalist who departed the network in 2022, alleged Thursday that she experienced professional consequences for scrutinizing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s directives during the pandemic. Hopper made the remarks while appearing on an Australian news program to discuss Fauci’s recent congressional testimony, in which he invoked his Fifth Amendment protections more than 100 times and declined to answer lawmakers’ questions.
During her time at CBS News covering COVID-19, Hopper said she began questioning Fauci’s guidance after several years of reporting on the pandemic, which prompted her removal from on-air duties for several days. She described an environment where challenging the prevailing narrative was discouraged, noting she ultimately complied with editorial direction to resume her regular assignments, which she characterized as subordinating her role to institutional priorities.
Hopper expressed hope that Fauci’s refusal to answer congressional inquiries would prompt news organizations worldwide to reassess their pandemic coverage. She cited specific policies—including the six-foot social distancing guideline and outdoor mask mandates—as examples of directives that lacked adequate explanation or scientific justification, criticizing media organizations for unquestioningly amplifying official messaging without applying rigorous journalistic standards.
CBS News stated that Hopper had left the organization prior to Bari Weiss assuming the editor-in-chief position in 2025. Meanwhile, Fauci faces intensifying scrutiny from Republican lawmakers and revelations from his private diary excerpts, which indicate he recommended lockdowns to federal, state and local officials in 2020, contradicting his later public denials of endorsing such measures.
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