Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Toledo Blade Reporters Say Pro-Trump Owners ‘Manipulate’ Coverage
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Blade reporters say they were told not to identify the Capitol rioters as Trump supporters and had their articles edited without their permission
Reporters at the Toledo Blade and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Friday that the right-wing views of the papers’ owners are hindering their ability to accurately cover political and cultural stories, from last summer’s unrest over systemic racism to President Donald Trump and Wednesday’s Capitol riot.
Blade executive editor Kurt Franck directed that outlet’s digital journalists on Wednesday not to describe the rioters as Trump supporters, TheWrap has learned. According to Blade journalists and a statement from the guild that represents them, their reporting on the event was edited without their permission to remove some references to Trump and leave room for ambiguity about how many of the demonstrators involved were his supporters.