Journalist Saima Mohsin sues CNN for ‘unfair dismissal and racial discrimination’
Saima Mohsin said, “I was injured on assignment for CNN. They fired me."
British-Pakistani reporter Saima Mohsin is suing CNN for “unfair dismissal and discrimination” after she was severely injured while on assignment in Isreal.
- She has been struggling to sit, stand, walk, or return to work full time-time after the incident in 2014 — wherein her cameraman ran over her foot in a car, resulting in severe tissue damage
- Mohsin alleges that she faced racial and disability discrimination as well as a gender pay gap during her stint at CNN
- The former CNN reporter also alleged that the managers preferred white American correspondents over her even when she was ready to go live on the ground — giving her less on-air time
On Monday In a tweet, Mohsin revealed the details of the unfair dismissal and discrimination at the multinational media organization, CNN.
Saima Mohsin said, “I was injured on assignment for CNN. They fired me.”
“We risk our lives in the field trusting we’ll be taken care of,” she said, adding that she was suing the channel for “unfair dismissal, disability, and race discrimination”.
I was injured on assignment for CNN
— Saima Mohsin (@SaimaMohsin) July 10, 2023
They fired me
We risk our lives in the field trusting we’ll be taken care of
I’m suing for unfair dismissal, disability & race discrimination. CNN wants my case thrown out
Big week for me at Employment Tribunal 🤲🏾 https://t.co/QYvOrB3LpH
A former CNN reporter also shared an article by The Guardian which sheds light on the matter,
According to the article, Saima Mohsin was left differently abled after an accident while reporting from Jerusalem on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“Her cameraman ran over her foot in a car, causing severe tissue damage that has left the British-Pakistani journalist struggling to sit, stand and walk or return to work full-time,” the report added.
In the article, Mohsin says that she requested alternative duties and support for rehabilitation but CNN refused.
She also said that she asked CNN if she could switch to a presenting role in order to reduce the amount of time spent traveling but was told “You don’t have the look we are looking for,” the report said, adding that her contract was terminated three years later.
Mohsin said that she had decided to file the employment tribunal claim, which is due to be heard in London on Monday because the network had failed to support her after her injury.
“I worked hard to become an international correspondent and loved my job with CNN. I risked my life many times on assignment for CNN believing they would have my back. They did not,” Mohsin was quoted as saying.
Mohsin also alleged race, gender pay gap, and disability discrimination, claiming that she was denied high-profile on-air opportunities, with managers choosing to put white American correspondents on air even when she was ready to go live on the ground, the report added said.
The Guardian said that CNN had declined to comment on the matter and had opposed the charges on the grounds that Mohsin could not file a case in London under the terms of her contract.
