She later wrote the book Stonewalled, in which she alleged that CBS News failed to give sufficient coverage of Barack Obama controversies, such as the 2012 Benghazi attack.

She later worked as an anchor and reporter at WTVX-TV in Fort Pierce/West Palm Beach from 1982–1985, at WBNS-TV, the CBS affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, from 1985 to 1886, and at WTVT in Tampa, from 1986–1990.

[21] In 2001, Attkisson received an Investigative Emmy Award nomination for Firestone Tire Fiasco from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

[29] In July 2011, Attkisson was again nominated, for Follow the Money investigations into Congressional travel to the Copenhagen climate summit, and problems with aid to Haiti earthquake victims.

[38] Erik Wemple, in his Washington Post blog, said CBS News had greater resources to deal with potential litigation than Attkisson as an individual and commented "if her nearly aired stories are as bulletproof as she suggests, where’s the risk?

"[39] He quoted Sonya McNair, a spokesman for CBS News, who had told him the operation "maintains the highest journalistic standards in what it chooses to put on the air.

"[39] Attkisson's book Stonewalled: One Reporter's Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harassment in Obama's Washington was published by Harper later in 2014 and became a New York Times best seller.

The news outlets with a purported left bias include the Associated Press, Reuters, the American television networks ABC, NBC/CNBC, and CBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, Politico, and USA Today.

[7][8][48] Seth Mnookin, Professor of Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, described Attkisson as "one of the least responsible mainstream journalists covering vaccines and autism.

"[6] According to Snopes, in a January 2019 episode of her television show Full Measure, Attkisson mischaracterized the significance of statements made in 2007 by a medical expert, Andrew Zimmerman, regarding a hypothetical relationship between vaccines and autism.

[53] In late January 2015, Attkisson appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee[54] during a confirmation hearing for Loretta Lynch, President Obama's nominee to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder.

As part of her appearance in front of that committee, a report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) was released[55] stating that "their investigation was not able to substantiate... allegations that Attkisson's computers were subject to remote intrusions by the FBI, other government personnel, or otherwise" and the deletion seen in Attkisson's video "appeared to be caused by the backspace key being stuck, rather than a remote intrusion".

[56][57] In March 2015, Attkisson and her family filed suit in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia against Holder, Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe, and unnamed agents of the US Department of Justice, the US Postal Service and the United States, alleging that they had been subject to illegal surveillance activities.

[62] In January 2020, Attkisson renewed her efforts, filing a complaint at federal courts in Baltimore, Maryland and Alexandria, Virginia alleging that the Obama administration had spied upon her and her family.

Her lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in 2021, who ruled that Rosenstein was protected by qualified immunity and that, even if true, none of the allegations took place in Maryland, where the court has jurisdiction.