I totally admit it. I saw a link on Facebook to an article about Ann Romney mouthing off about equal pay for women and I thought it was real. I wrote a quick intro, cut and pasted an excerpt of her "quote" and hurriedly hit the Publish button.
Immediately, my brain began to question itself.
"Why hadn't I seen this on the news? (I work for a TV station. We flip channels all day)
"What other source quotes are there? (I usually use at least two)
I started to worry. I had never heard of the source, Free Wood Post, before.
A little digging showed my inner voice to be true. I had picked up a satirical news thread. It could have been Andy Borowitz or The Onion but I'm familiar with those. I removed it within 5 minutes of publishing. But the damage is done. It's out there...somewhere, like Sally's pending 40th birthday in "When Harry Met Sally".
Lesson learned.
2 comments:
It's embarrassing to fall for a fake news story. Worst was, my post was short but good. Ah well, best to point out my mistake before someone else does.
Yes you were quick to hit the publish button but at least you did check it. Most everything on the net is suspect especially regarding US politics. I wish my sister had your critical thinking and checked these dumb emails before she forwarded them along. Some people are way too gullible.
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