Onion now a reputable news source?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the credibility of satirical news sources, specifically The Onion, in the context of real-world reporting. Participants reflect on instances where reputable newspapers mistakenly published articles from The Onion, leading to public confusion regarding factual information.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that two Bangladeshi newspapers published a satirical article from The Onion, believing it to be true, and later apologized for not verifying the source.
  • Another participant humorously suggests that other satirical sources, like The Turnip, may also be quoted in the future.
  • A participant recalls a similar incident involving a Chinese newspaper that was misled by The Onion, attributing blame to the satirical site for their error.
  • One participant expresses disbelief at the lack of verification by the newspapers, highlighting the seriousness of the mistake.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the absurdity of reputable news sources being misled by satirical content, but there is no consensus on the implications of such incidents for media credibility.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not delve into the broader implications of media literacy or the responsibilities of news organizations in verifying sources, leaving these aspects unresolved.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying media literacy, journalism ethics, or the impact of satire on public perception of news.

cristo
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Well, at least in Bangladesh it is!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8237558.stm

Two Bangladeshi newspapers have apologised after publishing an article taken from a satirical US website which claimed the Moon landings were faked.

The Daily Manab Zamin said US astronaut Neil Armstrong had shocked a news conference by saying he now knew it had been an "elaborate hoax".

Neither they nor the New Nation, which later picked up the story, realized the Onion was not a genuine news site.

Both have now apologised to their readers for not checking the story.

"We thought it was true so we printed it without checking," associate editor Hasanuzzuman Khan told the AFP news agency.

"We didn't know the Onion was not a real news site."

The article said Mr Armstrong had told a news conference he had been "forced to reconsider every single detail of the monumental journey after watching a few persuasive YouTube videos and reading several blog posts" by a conspiracy theorist.
 
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<snork>
 
Funny! Pretty soon they will be quoting The Turnip as well.
 
Some newspaper in China made the same mistake a few years ago. I think this is the article that fooled them:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27828

They blamed their stupidity on The Onion for being meanie-heads and tricking them.
 
"We thought it was true so we printed it without checking..."

Jesus Christ...
 

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