The Economist issued an apology for calling Daily Wire editor-in-chief and Journal columnist Ben Shapiro “alt-right” in a March 28 piece; Shapiro told the Journal in a statement via email that The Economist should have apologized for defaming him.
The article was initially titled “Inside the mind of Ben Shapiro, the alt-right sage without the rage.” The alt-right is a far-right movement that espouses white nationalist identity politics. After Shapiro confronted them on Twitter on the matter, The Economist issued an apology as an editor’s note at the top of the piece: “A previous version mistakenly described Mr Shapiro as an ‘alt-right sage’ and ‘a pop idol of the alt-right.’ In fact, he has been strongly critical of the alt-right movement. We apologize.”
Shapiro told the Journal, “The Economist should apologize — they didn’t do their basic research, and they defamed me in the process. Lumping in conservatism with the alt-right is nefarious and disgusting.”
Earlier in the day, Shapiro pushed back against the Economist labeling him “alt-right” on Twitter, tweeting: “This is a vile lie. Not only am I not alt-right, I am probably their leading critic on the right. I was the number one target of their hate in 2016 online according to ADL (Anti-Defamation League) data. I demand a retraction.”
.@TheEconomist, this is a vile lie. Not only am I not alt-right, I am probably their leading critic on the right. I was the number one target of their hate in 2016 online according to ADL data. I demand a retraction. https://t.co/5p2ClA0mby
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
You should be ashamed of yourselves for that garbage headline and description. To call yourselves a journalistic outlet and then botch this one so badly is astonishing. Here is me in 2016 in WaPo ripping Trump for flirting with the alt-right, e.g.: https://t.co/ZTbfswFTIT
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
Here was my podcast the day after Charlottesville in which I analyze and savage the disgusting alt-right: https://t.co/fLVBotkkNV
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
My book itself contains several pages devoted to the evil of the alt-right and white supremacy. Retract this pathetically inaccurate and defamatory nonsense now.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
Shapiro went on to highlight a section from his new book, “The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great,” where he calls the alt-right “racist”:
"The racist alt-right movement" (p. xvi);
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
"In late March, the execrable Milo Yiannopoulos penned a story at Breitbart openly praising the alt-right, including odes to racist cretins like Richard Spencer." (p. xxii-xxiii)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
"Racial solidarity among members of the intersectional coalition has also driven reverse racial solidarity from the so-called alt-right — a group of racists who have sought to promote white pride…The alt-right remains a fringe movement, but their arguments have…
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
…penetrated into more visible circles thanks to a reactionary tendency by some on the Right to embrace anyone who supposedly opposes political correctness." (p. 208)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
Anne McElvoy, an editor at the Economist, tweeted,“In fairness, I think we said [something] like a figure in Alt-right thinking, not a ‘label,’” prompting Shapiro to reply, “Your headline literally reads ‘the alt-right sage without the rage.’ So spare me the ‘in fairness” bulls***.’”
The Economist’s Twitter account eventually issued an apology to Shapiro.
“We have deleted an earlier tweet for an article that mischaracterized Ben Shapiro, who has been strongly critical of the alt-right movement,” the tweet states. “We apologize.”
We have deleted an earlier tweet for an article that mischaracterised Ben Shapiro, who has been strongly critical of the alt-right movement. We apologise. Here is the article https://t.co/ZmfgU6Gw2r
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 28, 2019
The headline now calls Shapiro “a radical conservative.” Shapiro tweeted, “At least that’s defensible.”
.@TheEconomist has now changed their headline — now I'm a "radical conservative." At least that's defensible. Here's their correction and apology. pic.twitter.com/oGxv6iXuq1
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
Shapiro’s “Right Side of History” is currently ranked No. 1 on The New York Times’ Non-Fiction Best Sellers List.
