USA Today admitted this week that it allowed failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to stealth-edit an opinion piece she submitted earlier this month so that it would appear less sympathetic to economic boycotts.
Abrams wrote an op-ed for the publication shortly after Georgia passed its new election reform law. In it, she voiced support for national boycotts of Georgia-based companies.
“Events hosted by major league baseball, world class soccer, college sports and dozens of Hollywood films hang in the balance,” Abrams wrote in the original article.
“At the same time, activists urge Georgians to swear off of hometown products to express our outrage. Until we hear clear, unequivocal statements that show Georgia-based companies get what’s at stake, I can’t argue with an individual’s choice to opt for their competition,” she continued.
Shortly after the opinion was published, however, USA Today revised it without announcing the change or adding an editor’s note.
It now reads, “Instead of a boycott, I strongly urge other events and productions to do business in Georgia and speak out against our law and similar proposals in other states.”
After conservatives discovered the stealth edit, USA Today admitted it had allowed Abrams to make the change and said it “regretted” not adding an editor’s note to the piece.
“We regret the oversight in updating the Stacey Abrams column,” Gannett, the outlet’s parent company, said in a statement.
“As soon as we recognized there was no editor’s note, we added it to the page to reflect her changes,” it said. “We have reviewed our procedures to ensure this does not occur again.”
Georgia Republicans blasted USA Today for helping Abrams cover her tracks.
Stacey Abrams called for boycotts of Georgia—then when the MLB fell for her lies, she tried to rewrite her own words and cover it up with help from @USATODAY.
Now, hardworking Georgians are set to lose $100 million—and they know exactly who’s to blame. https://t.co/AyTI1Rp2ry
— Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) April 27, 2021
Can’t say I’m surprised. The left spends weeks spreading lies and promoting boycotts, and their pals in the national media cover their tracks.
Stacey Abrams can’t have it both ways. Hardworking Georgians deserve the truth. https://t.co/nprBErMJ8O
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) April 27, 2021
