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The Free Press forced to issue correction after falsely claiming El-Sayed gave victory speech in Arabic
The Independent • • nation
Key Points:
- The Free Press issued a correction after reporter Maya Sulkin falsely claimed Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed delivered his victory speech in Arabic, when he actually spoke primarily in English with a few Arabic phrases.
- Sulkin's video criticizing Democrats for speaking languages other than English gained over one million views but was flagged with a community note clarifying that only 0.27% of El-Sayed's speech was in Arabic.
- The Free Press, acquired by Paramount Skydance in 2025 and founded by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, is known for challenging progressive ideas and has faced criticism for perceived editorial bias.
- Another Free Press staffer, Olivia Reingold, admitted to using AI tools to alter a photo from El-Sayed's election night event, which sparked controversy and criticism from media outlets.
- The Free Press defended Reingold's use of AI-enhanced images, with chief of staff Sean Fischer praising her as the publication's "only fashion critic."
