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Newspaper disciplines copy editor for adding 'allegedly' to 'Obama was born in Hawaii'

The Montana Independent Record disciplined a copy editor for changing a line in an Associated Press story to read "Obama was allegedly born in Hawaii."

The change appeared in the Sunday edition of the Helena newspaper in an AP story about President Barack Obama's visit to Asia. The line in the Independent Record read: “The Asia trip underscores Obama’s efforts to establish the United states as an Asia-Pacific power, a worldview defined by 21st century geopolitics but also by Obama’s personal identity as America’s first Pacific president. Obama was allegedly born in Hawaii.”

Retired AP staffer Tom Laceky, who worked in the Helena bureau for 28 years, pointed out the addition of "allegedly" in a letter to the editor on Tuesday.

"'Allegedly born in Hawaii?' As if there is any doubt? That right-wing notion has been so thoroughly discredited that only Donald Trump and assorted other loonies still cling to it. Neither the AP nor -I hope - The Independent Record belongs in their company," Laceky wrote.

Another reader also wrote in to share their disappointment with the edit of the AP piece.

In an editor's note, the newspaper wrote that it was a "poor attempt at humor and a poor decision" and that "those responsible have been disciplined":

Our copy desk made an error in judgment in editing the Sunday 2A Associated Press story about President Obama’s trip to Asia and his place of birth. One of the copy editors inserted the term “allegedly” born in Hawaii in the story thinking the other copy editor would catch it, he didn’t. It was a poor attempt at humor and a poor decision, but was not intended to be printed in the paper. Those responsible have been disciplined.

(h/t Romenesko)