Several newspapers connected to USA Today’s network, owned by Gannett, quietly removed Senator John Kennedy’s (R-LA) opinion piece on transgender athletes.
The piece was removed without Kennedy being notified.
In the op-ed, the senator criticized biological men participating in women’s sports.
Gannett’s Opinion Editor and Vice President of Standards and Ethics, Michael McCarter, told Fox News Digital that the piece did not meet “ethical guidelines.”
“The opinion teams across the USA TODAY Network are focused on delivering local, timely, relevant, and diverse opinion pieces. We recognize the importance of sharing varying perspectives and the vital role we play convening conversations,” McCarter said. “Sen. John Kennedy’s submitted opinion column did not meet our ethical guidelines, which state we will treat people with respect. After further review, our editorial team removed the column from our website. Sen. Kennedy has been given the opportunity to revise his language – not his viewpoint – to adhere with our standards.”
Kennedy responded to the op-ed’s removal in a statement to Fox News Digital: “USA Today Network apparently does not like the way I express myself.”
The senator noted that the network thinks they are the “speech police” and society’s “moral teacher.”
“This attitude is why so many Americans have lost confidence in the media. The media is not going to win that trust back until they return to neutrality instead of advocacy,” he said.
The outlet reported that it received emails regarding the situation, wherein a reporter for Gannett’s Louisiana sector explained to Kennedy’s office that the opinion piece contained “inflammatory speech.”
