Universal Press Syndicate (UPS), which syndicates right-wing pundit Ann Coulter's weekly column, did not distribute a version of her February 24 column that referred to Hearst Newspapers columnist Helen Thomas as “that old Arab Helen Thomas.” Instead, UPS sent out an edited version of the column to its clients, which referred to Thomas instead as “that dyspeptic, old Helen Thomas.” But the version posted on Coulter's personal website, which includes the race-based attack, is nevertheless marked: “Copyright 2005 Universal Press Syndicate.” Thomas is of Lebanese descent.

Editor & Publisher reported on February 28 that UPS “isn't even sure the phrase [”that old Arab Helen Thomas"] appeared in the version Coulter submitted to the syndicate" and “is trying to determine what was in the Feb. 23 column Coulter transmitted to Universal.” UPS has syndicated Coulter's columns since 1999.

Regardless of who made the change, the version of the column posted on Coulter's personal website and with the label “Copyright 2005 Universal Press Syndicate” is not what UPS copyrighted and distributed.

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