NY Post reporter quits after allegedly being "ordered" to write false story about Kamala Harris
New York, New York - A New York Post reporter who wrote a story falsely claiming that migrant children were being given copies of Vice President Kamala Harris' children's book has resigned.
A New York Post reporter, Laura Italiano, announced on Tuesday that she has resigned after being "ordered" to write a false story that claimed migrant children were being given copies of a book by Kamala Harris in their "welcome kits."
The story was published on Friday. It was featured on the front-page of the print edition with the headline "Kam On In."
The untrue story was quickly picked up by Republican politicians and conservative media.
The Washington Post fact-checked the claims on Tuesday, showing the article was based entirely on false information.
Apparently, it was based solely on a single picture of a copy of Harris’ 2019 children’s book that was placed on a bed at a Long Beach, California, shelter.
Italiano shared the reasons for her resignation on Twitter Tuesday evening.
NY Post deleted the article – and republished an altered version
"An announcement: Today I handed in my resignation to my editors at the New York Post," Italiano tweeted. "The Kamala Harris story – an incorrect story I was ordered to write and which I failed to push back hard enough against – was my breaking point."
Following the Washington Post fact check, the NY Post temporarily deleted Italiano's story. However, they later republished an edited version with the note: "The original version of this article said migrant kids were getting Harris’ book in a welcome kit, but has been updated to note that only one known copy of the book was given to a child."
According to The Washington Post, Italiano had been reporting for the NY Post since the 1990s.
Cover photo: IMAGO / MediaPunch