KEN ORR AGAINST THE PRESS
Case Number: 3559
Council Meeting: 21 October 2024
Decision: No Grounds to Proceed
Publication: The Press
Principle: Accuracy, Fairness and Balance
Ruling Categories: Columnists Opinion
- The Press published an article on THE 22ND July 2024, headlined The reboot of the Trump era, and the scariest deja vu ever.
- This was an opinion piece in which the writer expressed her fear of what might happen if former US President Donald Trump was re-elected. It was a wide-ranging critique of Mr Trump.
- Ken Orr, Secretary of Right to Life, said he accepted this was an opinion piece in which the writer was free to express opinion.
- However, there was a requirement to ensure accuracy and to avoid misleading readers with false statements and he complained the article breached Principle (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance,
- His complaint was focussed on one sentence in which the columnist wrote: “In 2022 a Trump-stacked Supreme Court overturned crucial rights for Americans, who are now literally dying due to lack of abortion healthcare.”
- Mr Orr said it attacked the integrity of the Supreme Court’s for overturning Roe v Wade.
- It was wrong to say the Supreme Court was stacked by President Trump. There were nine members of the Court of which he had nominated three, but they were appointed by the Senate.
- It was also wrong to claim Americans were dying for lack of abortion care.
- In response The Press said Mr Orr had made sweeping interpretations of the writer’s comment and that she had said things she did not actually say. The column was well within the boundaries set out for opinion content in the Media Council’s Principles.
- Her description of the Supreme Court as being stacked by Mr Trump was fair comment in an opinion article. His appointment of three justices ensured it had a solid conservative majority.
- The columnist’s statement that Americans were literally dying due to lack of abortion healthcare was also backed by various reports.
- The Media Council notes this was an opinion piece and clearly marked as such. The Press had explained why it believes the comments made were well founded.
- The Council also notes former President Trump has repeatedly praised himself for his part in appointing three Supreme Court justices to secure the numbers to overturn Roe v Wade, a pivotal abortion rights ruling that had stood for 52 years.
- There were no grounds to proceed.