Politico’s Supreme Court Leaks Leave Some Lingering Ethics Quesitons

May 3, 2022

(Poynter) – Politico published Monday night a leaked copy of a draft of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal in every state. The ethics behind Politico’s decision to publish the document will likely become a case study for future generations of journalists. The sheer length of the story and accompanying sidebars suggests the Washington, D.C.-based newsroom has been working on the 98-page draft of a decision authored by Justice Samuel Alito for more than a few hours. Politico offers very few details about how they got the copy, whether they received a hard copy or a digital copy, what the newsroom did to confirm that it’s real or even if it’s the most current draft. (Read More)