Fark- 1. News Media- 0.

[Fausto]

Original article.

Fark thread.



Followup from MSNBC.

Then, after a few phone calls, the source of the story was found - FARK.com, a joke news Web site, similar to The Onion.

"HAZELTON, DOWNTOWN - At least 19 people - including four Hazelton police officers - have been injured in an incident involving a bodyguard hired to protect country star Kenny Rogers at a book signing this evening," the story read.

.........

But, the story was obviously fake. It purports to come from TV station WTF-TV. "WTF" is short-hand for a colorful expletive phrase. The Web site lists Monday night's line-up on WTF-TV as an interview with Kenny Rogers, "City Council Takes on Animal Control," "Compost Miracles" "Cooking With Hal Shepard," and "Knowing Your PTA."

............

But ABC News apparently never saw the disclaimer. The WTF Web site gives no state as a location for "Hazelton." Apparently ABC News added Pennsylvania, as this is the biggest of the seven or so "Hazletons" or "Hazeltons" in the country. The Web site's counter reported the story had been viewed 19,210 times - apparently one of those times by ABC News.

When contacted Monday night, ABC News confirmed it sent the story to affiliates on "Newscall." A man at the news desk asked where a reporter got the information the story was false. When informed the caller was a reporter with the real newspaper in Hazleton, Pa., and that the source of the story had been uncovered as FARK.com, the man at the news desk merely verified the Web site address and said, "thank you very much."

😀

 

[ggavinmoss]

This is almost as bad as that Chinese journalist that cited The Onion when reporting on Congress getting sweet new digs with corporate sponsorship. LMAO.

-geoff

 

[maziwanka]

hahaha

 

[trilks]

Pwned.

 

[Kyteland]

Wait. You mean some things written on the internet are... not... real?

:brokenheart:

 

[blackdogdeek]

lol :thumbsup:

EDIT: wtf-tv, classic!

 

[Babbles]

ABC sure did some did a bang up job researching that news story.

 

[Adul]

This is great lol

 

[KK]

Doesn't Dan Rather work for CBS?

 

[asm0deus]

i would watch WTF TV all day long

 

[Adul]

it exists!