Media

CBS News Changes Beto O’Rourke NFL Player Protest Headline After Backlash

REUTERS/William Philpott

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CBS News on Saturday changed its headline on a story about Texas Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke’s take on NFL player protests following a wave of backlash on social media.

The original headline read, “Beto O’Rourke says there’s ‘nothing more American’ than NFL players protesting the national anthem.”

Screenshot/CBS News Twitter

“I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up or take a knee for your rights anytime, anywhere, any place,” O’Rourke said earlier this week, prompting his GOP opponent, Ted Cruz, to tweet his skepticism that the Democrat’s take would be a hit in conservative Texas. (RELATED: TRUMP JR. TELLS BETO O’ROURKE THAT ANTHEM KNEELING ‘WON’T FLY’ IN TEXAS, OFFERS ALTERNATIVE)

CBS News’ headline, however, drew the ire of players and media by drawing attention to players “protesting the national anthem” instead of what they consider fighting injustice.

CBS News added an editor’s note after changing their headline “to more wholly reflect” O’Rourke’s statements.

In addition to the tweeted statement, CBS News also added a sentence to the original article: “Players who kneel during the national anthem are protesting police brutality and racial inequality.”

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