A Sept. 30 CNSNews.com article by Mary Jane O’Brien about an interview by CNS editor-in-chief Terry Jeffrey of anti-abortion activist Alveda King repeatedly refers to her as “Dr. Alveda King” and “Dr. King.” The problem, as we pointed out last time CNS did this: King has apparently not earned any doctorate degree.
As biographies of King on several websites state, King “received her honorary Doctorate of Laws from Saint Anselm College.”As a Saint Anselm publication details, in 2001 she “was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree for her extraordinary efforts as an advocate for education reform and improvement of race relations and for her passionate participation in the political and academic arena following the great challenges of her young life.” While it’s an honor, it’s not a real doctorate.
King does not hold a doctorate she has earned, as far as we can determine; even if she had, Associated Press journalistic style dictates that the “Dr.” honorific is given only to medical doctors.