Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently wrote an opinion column critical of trans athletes, and USA Today newspapers removed the piece without even notifying Kennedy.
This is reminiscent of the time in 2020 when Republican Senator Tom Cotton wrote an op-ed for the New York Times that was censored because it sent the paper's staff into fits of rage. Cotton had proposed using the army to control the riots in the 'summer of love'.
Isn't it fascinating that this censorship always seems to go one way?
Fox news reported:
USA Today newspapers quietly remove GOP senator's op-ed about trans athletes without telling him
Several Louisiana newspapers that are part of the Gannett-owned USA Today network quietly removed a published op-ed about transgender athletes by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., without notifying him.
Communications reviewed by Fox News Digital showed that the Republican was told that his op-ed criticizing biological males playing women's sports contained “inflammatory” speeches that did not meet company standards.
Gannett Opinion Editor and vice president of standards and ethics Michael McCarter supported the decision to remove Kennedy's piece.
“The USA TODAY Network opinion teams are focused on delivering local, timely, relevant and diverse opinion pieces. We recognize the importance of sharing diverse perspectives and the critical role we play in bringing conversations together. Senator John Kennedy's submitted opinion column did not meet our ethics guidelines, which state that we will treat people with respect. After further review, our editorial staff has removed the column from our website. Senator Kennedy has had an opportunity to revise his language – not his position – to meet our standards,” McCarter told Fox News Digital.
Kennedy noted:
“They think they are the speech police. Drunk on certainty and virtue, they think they are our moral teacher. This attitude is why so many Americans have lost trust in the media. The media will not regain that trust until it returns to neutrality rather than advocacy,” Kennedy said.
Apparently USA Today thinks they are the speech police.
The media will only regain trust if it returns to neutrality rather than advocacy.https://t.co/S297R2pFgi
—John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) May 24, 2024
Do you think any newspaper in the country would dare remove a column from a senator like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, no matter what it contained?
No chance.
