As Twitchy reported earlier, USA Today was caught going back and allowing significant edits to Stacey Abrams’ op-ed after Major League Baseball announced it was moving the All-Star Game out of Georgia and taking millions of dollars with it.
USA Today edits Stacey Abrams op-ed published before MLB pulled game in Atlanta, waters down boycott support https://t.co/jtfNMhuLTX
— Joseph A. Wulfsohn (@JosephWulfsohn) April 27, 2021
Uh-oh, somebody noticed!
UPDATE: Gannett spox issued a statement:
"We regret the oversight in updating the Stacey Abrams column. As soon as we recognized there was no editor’s note, we added it to the page to reflect her changes. We have reviewed our procedures to ensure this does not occur again." https://t.co/WKEUo38prO
— Joseph A. Wulfsohn (@JosephWulfsohn) April 27, 2021
Why update it at all? If someone’s opinion proves to be unpopular, they can go back and rewrite their op-ed?
Enemy of the people says what?
— ericontrarian (@eriContrarian) April 27, 2021
I look forward to reading @ReliableSources’ coverage of this
— Ryan (@alwaysonoffense) April 27, 2021
In other words, "Oh shit, we got caught."
— Jimmy New York (@JimmyNY88) April 27, 2021
Please pass along to the Gannett spox that the part that should not occur again is letting an op-ed be revised after the fact, regardless of if there is an editor's note or not. Thanks.
— Gerry (@GerryDales) April 27, 2021
The mistakes, regrets, & accidents always seem to only go in one direction. Weird. ?
— ajslaw (@ajslaw87) April 27, 2021
"As soon as we realized we couldn't get away with a stealth edit, we thought it would be better to just gaslight to your faces. We apologize for the inconvenience"
— Orange Juche (@OrangeJuche) April 27, 2021
I got the same exact explanation when my son admitted he wrecked the car, after he lied about it. Only difference is, he was honest and said "I never thought you'd find out".
— Yisty (@JohnYisty) April 27, 2021
Translation: Mission Accomplished. ?
— Cee Level (@CeeHag) April 27, 2021
Backpedal harder.
— SARidge A (@abee_sar) April 27, 2021
In other words “We’re sorry we got caught.”
— MasonMSU (@MasonMSU) April 27, 2021
Apology not accepted.
— welcome visitors (@twann98521) April 27, 2021
What a bullshit answer, they never should have changed it in the first place.
— Patrick (@jd2319) April 27, 2021
Still no reason to go back and change an *editorial*. It’s one thing to update a report if new facts emerge, but “I’d rather not have said that” isn’t a valid reason
— Bronus Swagner (@BronusSwagner) April 27, 2021
Too late, but thanks for pretending.
— Flyover Zone Neanderthal ?? (@SharkeyTim) April 27, 2021
The mistake was REMOVING PORTIONS of the original column, which is not "updating" it.
And an editor's note doesn't make that gross manipulation okay.
— AnnaV (@perchance99) April 27, 2021
It'll happen again.
— ViktorWithaK (@HappyFaceMalts) April 27, 2021
How many of its original readers will return to see the "editor's note" affixed?
Very few, I suspect. Damage done.
— Daniel Honchariw (@D_Honch) April 27, 2021
"As soon as we recognized…."
— TLSidlo (@TlSidlo) April 27, 2021
What a weaselly non-explanation.
— Get vaccinated if you want (@jtLOL) April 27, 2021
The media is as trusted as Jussie Smollett. And they only have themselves to blame.
— Leo Seinfeld (@LeoSeinfeld) April 27, 2021
Damage done. Mission accomplished. They do this stuff on purpose and then pretend it was some kind of oversight.
— Thomas Birchfield (@ThomasBirchfie6) April 27, 2021
Of course they did it on purpose.
Remember folks, these deceitful, manipulative, and unethical snakes swear that they are morally superior to you and believe that they deserve unchecked rule over you.
— SpaceForceChewie (@_1216715) April 27, 2021
The editor's note is not the problem. Letting someone reconcile their own record is the problem.
— Completely Unfettered (@jerkstore159) April 27, 2021
Just a minor journalistic oversight. They teach you how to conveniently miss those in activism school
— Chris Pike (@cpike98) April 27, 2021
Jacob, serious question — can you ask Gannett how often in the past they have allowed contributors to do this?
— Power Creek (@powercreek) April 27, 2021
"Oops, didn't think you catch us, our bad"
— TreysSermon (@TreysSermon) April 27, 2021
What won't occur again?
Editing op-eds afterwards or failing to document said updates?
— Bryan Farris (@SaveFarrisLSU) April 27, 2021
You would've never come clean but you were forced to because you got caught. And you wonder why we don't believe you anymore.
— Cheryl D. Pelletier (@CherylDenisePe1) April 27, 2021
TRANSLATION: We are scared shitless of the black woman
— StevenE?? (@SLE1957) April 27, 2021
Such clowns.
No action will be taken against the actual person that edited it.
Shows you they only care because they got caught.
This used to be a fireable offense
— JohnGalt ???? (@JohnJGaltrules) April 27, 2021
Ill wait ever so eagerly for Stelter to mention this https://t.co/aCiXGUUGeR
— Jason Hopkins (@thejasonhopkins) April 27, 2021
This is such a blatant lie we’re embarrassed for Gannett.
Related:
NICE TRY! USA Today BUSTED trying to help Stacey Abrams ‘memory hole’ her support for MLB boycott but peeps have receipts https://t.co/lkrDUJ3f9J
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 27, 2021
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