Comprehensive AP reporting combats misinformation surrounding Trump’s autism claims

By Ali Swenson, Lauran Neergaard, Matthew Perrone, Laura Ungar, Seung Min Kim, Will Weissert, Darlene Superville, Laurie Kellman, Mike Pesoli, River Zhang, Tia Goldenberg and Jon Fahey

In response to perplexing White House declarations on autism, a collaborative AP team delivered essential, comprehensive reporting that pushed back on misinformation. Weeks of careful planning, including prep work on precise wording for all formats, ensured facts remained at the core. A powerful collaboration between Washington teams, Health and Science, and Standards editors enabled rapid yet accurate coverage.

The team aggressively, yet sensitively, covered the breaking news, highlighting that Trump’s statements ignored established science. A smart lineup of follow-up stories addressed the aftershocks: a fact-focused piece, a feature on pregnant women’s confusion, a political analysis of the impact on RFK Jr.’s movement, and an exclusive interview with the maker of a drug Trump touted. This unmatched speed and scope resulted in stories dominating APNews.com with 464,000 page views and a YouTube livestream garnering nearly 500,000 views, showcasing the power of thorough, fact-based journalism.