AP apologizes for ‘Thought’ quote by Confederate president

The Associated Press apologized Tuesday for a “Thought of the Day” provided by the news agency and published in the June 3 edition of The Arizona Republic.

Editors at Gannett, parent company of The Republic, also expressed regret for its publication.

A daily quote supplied by AP as part of its “Today in History” feature typically has run on Page 4A of this newspaper. The quote from Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, was “Never be haughty to the humble; never be humble to the haughty.”

Brian Carovillano, Associated Press vice president and managing editor, said the quote never should have been published by AP at any point, but it was especially appalling in the current climate. Top editors at Gannett, parent company of the Republic, contacted the AP about the issue.

Amalie Nash, vice president for audience development and local news at Gannett, said, “We reached out to the Associated Press standards editor on June 3 after discovering the Jefferson Davis quote had been distributed to express our concerns. We agree it never should have run in any of our publications and regret that it did.”

Lauren Easton, AP global director of media relations and corporate communications, said in a statement, “AP is appalled that the Davis quote was distributed. It should never have happened. We are embarrassed that this happened and we apologize.

“Starting on June 21, Today in History will no longer include a Thought for Today.”