Poynter is reporting that NPR erroneously published a story on Tuesday stating that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito had announced his retirement. The story, written by veteran Supreme Court reporter Nina Totenberg, was posted on NPR's website and quickly picked up by other outlets before being retracted. Supreme Court spokesperson Patricia McCabe confirmed the report was inaccurate. NPR's editor-in-chief, Thomas Evans, attributed the publication to a "misunderstanding," stating that neither Alito nor the court's public information office had announced a retirement. The New York Times reported the article was a retrospective on Alito's career. Poynter's public editor, Kelly McBride, found that Totenberg misheard Chief Justice John Roberts announcing "retirement announcements" as she was leaving the court. Totenberg later apologized to Alito and on air, taking full responsibility for what she called the "worst professional mistake" of her career. The Atlantic noted that despite the error, there was little public fallout beyond media critics.
Poynter also reported on significant Supreme Court rulings issued Tuesday, concluding its term. The court, in a 6-3 decision, upheld birthright citizenship, ruling against President Donald Trump's attempt to end automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants and some temporary foreign residents. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, affirming the 14th Amendment. Trump expressed his displeasure on Truth Social, suggesting Congress could address the issue through legislation. The New York Times editorial board praised the ruling. In another decision, the court upheld West Virginia and Idaho state laws barring transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports teams, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh writing for the majority that separate teams are reasonable due to physical differences.
Separately, Poynter noted a federal judge's ruling ordering the Pentagon to end its policy requiring reporters to be escorted by government officials within the building. Judge Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia stated the policy violated the First Amendment. This ruling marks another victory for the press in its ongoing battle with the Defense Department, following a previous lawsuit by The New York Times.
The British government has expressed concerns about Paramount's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, Poynter reported. British culture and media secretary Lisa Nandy indicated she is "minded to intervene" due to worries about media outlets consolidating under fewer corporate owners, citing the impact on UK public interest and services like Channel 5, TNT Sports, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Paramount+, and HBO Max. Paramount stated confidence that the transaction poses no media plurality issues in the UK. CNN reported that attorneys general in U.S. states like California also have "red flags" regarding the merger.
Poynter highlighted a controversy involving former NFL insider Dianna Russini, who resigned from The Athletic. The New York Times reported on Russini's past anecdote about avoiding a texting-and-driving ticket by FaceTiming an NFL head coach. However, police bodycam video obtained by The Center Square showed no FaceTime exchange; Russini instead showed the officer a text exchange with Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and received a verbal warning. ProFootballTalk reported that the Ridgewood Police Department chief stated the officer used professional discretion. Poynter criticized Russini for bragging about something that did not happen and questioned why The New York Times did not obtain the video.
Finally, Poynter detailed criticism regarding an interview with former NFL running back Chris Johnson, who revealed he has ALS. Jeff Pearlman, a former Sports Illustrated writer, blasted "Good Morning America" and interviewer Michael Strahan for not addressing the connection between playing football and ALS. Pearlman argued that Strahan, a former NFL player, should have raised the issue, given the known ties between football and the disease. Podcaster Dan Le Batard echoed Pearlman's sentiment, stating Strahan had a responsibility to ask football-related questions.