Newspaper apologizes for ‘horrific’ ad that claims ‘Islam’ was going to bomb Nashville

Executives at a newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, apologized Sunday for publishing what a top editor called a “horrific” full-page advertisement that said “Islam” was going to detonate a nuclear device in the city next month.

Executives at a newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, apologized Sunday for publishing what a top editor called a “horrific” full-page advertisement that said “Islam” was going to detonate a nuclear device in the city next month.

Kevin Gentzel, the chief revenue officer at Gannett, which owns The Tennessean magazine, said the company was launching an investigation to determine how the ad was published.

“We strongly condemn the message and apologize to our readers,” he tweeted.

The editor of the paper, Michael Anastasi, was quoted in The Tennessean as saying there had “clearly” been a breakdown in how the newspaper’s ads are scrutinized.

“The ad is horrific and is utterly indefensible in all circumstances,” he said, according to the paper. “It is wrong, period, and should have never been published.”

The story said the advertisement had been pulled from future editions.

Journalists and advocacy groups condemned the ad. A Tennessean Statehouse reporter on furlough said she was “sick” after seeing messages from readers canceling their subscriptions.