Tue Feb 12, 2013, 01:29 PM

Newsjock (11,733 posts)

Parody Website Fools The Washington Post Into Thinking Sarah Palin Heading To Al Jazeera

http://www.mediaite.com/online/parody-website-fools-the-washington-post-into-thinking-sarah-palin-heading-to-al-jazeera/

“The Sarah Palin Story is a cautionary tale about what can happen when politics and celebrity meet,” beginsWashington Post contributor Suzi Parker’s profile of Sarah Palin’s move from Fox News Channel to the future cable news network Al Jazeera English. “Late last week Al Jazeera America announced the former vice-presidential candidate would be joining their news network.”

The only problem with Parker’s scoop is that the news of Palin’s move comes from the comedy news site The Daily Currant, which recently published a wide-ranging “interview” with Palin about her lateral career move. The Daily Currant describes itself as “the global satirical newspaper of record.”

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14 replies	Author	Time	Post
Parody Website Fools The Washington Post Into Thinking Sarah Palin Heading To Al Jazeera (Original post)	Newsjock	Feb 2013	OP
I've given DU a hard time now and then for being fooled by satire sites.	The Velveteen Ocelot	Feb 2013	#1
DING DING DING! Velveteen Ocelot, you're our grand prize winner!	rocktivity	Feb 2013	#13
Not sure whether to	TDale313	Feb 2013	#2
I like Suzi Parker's work.	LiberalAndProud	Feb 2013	#3
NOt even the media can tell reality from satire anymore.	dixiegrrrrl	Feb 2013	#4
the Daily Currant is a special kind of satire	Enrique	Feb 2013	#5
I don't think they are especially clever or funny.	The Velveteen Ocelot	Feb 2013	#6
I was thinking that	nxylas	Feb 2013	#10
DING DING DING! Enrique, you're our OTHER grand prize winner!	rocktivity	Feb 2013	#14
Wow, Wapo duped LOL	Puzzledtraveller	Feb 2013	#7
Anybody -- ANYBODY -- who believe what they read in the web without rigorous validation...	Buzz Clik	Feb 2013	#8
So funny< I didn't bite on this one but have in the past.	Bennyboy	Feb 2013	#9
The Sarah Palin Story is a cautionary tale about what can happen when,,,	benld74	Feb 2013	#11
Fact checking.	obxhead	Feb 2013	#12

Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 01:33 PM

The Velveteen Ocelot (65,307 posts)

1. I've given DU a hard time now and then for being fooled by satire sites.

I hereby apologize. If the WaPo can be fooled I guess Poe's Law is now in full effect and it is no longer at all possible to distinguish satire from reality.

However, you'd think that a "respectable" newspaper like WaPo would verify its sources and/or know that the Daily Currant is a satire site. There's really no excuse for this kind of mistake by a major newspaper.

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Response to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 13, 2013, 08:05 PM

rocktivity (42,961 posts)

13. DING DING DING! Velveteen Ocelot, you're our grand prize winner!

Last edited Sun Jul 13, 2014, 12:21 PM - Edit history (2)

...(Y)ou'd think that a "respectable" newspaper like WaPo would verify its sources and/or know that the Daily Currant is a satire site. There's really no excuse for this kind of mistake by a major newspaper.

Well, if even the New York Times can fooled by an Onion story -- oh, wait, you said a RESPECTABLE newspaper...

rocktivity

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 01:34 PM

TDale313 (6,149 posts)

2. Not sure whether to

Lmao or face palm this one (or both) Some people seriously lack the satire gene.

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 01:36 PM

LiberalAndProud (12,799 posts)

3. I like Suzi Parker's work.

She just needs to remember to always check her sources. She has since corrected herself.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/02/12/sarah-palins-plan-to-reach-millions-of-devoutly-religious-people-through-al-jazeera/

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 01:38 PM

dixiegrrrrl (55,478 posts)

4. NOt even the media can tell reality from satire anymore.

edited to add:
The reporter was fooled by the Daily Currant TWICE?
Amazing.

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 01:39 PM

Enrique (27,461 posts)

5. the Daily Currant is a special kind of satire

it seems to be trying to fool people rather than make a point. This is not meant to excuse that Washington Post reporter, she should be embarrassed.

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Response to Enrique (Reply #5)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 02:06 PM

The Velveteen Ocelot (65,307 posts)

6. I don't think they are especially clever or funny.

What they call satire is sometimes pretty close to what others might call libel.

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Response to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #6)

Wed Feb 13, 2013, 11:16 AM

nxylas (6,440 posts)

10. I was thinking that

Wondering whether the reason so many people were fooled is that they expect satire to be funny.

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Response to Enrique (Reply #5)

Wed Feb 13, 2013, 09:52 PM

rocktivity (42,961 posts)

14. DING DING DING! Enrique, you're our OTHER grand prize winner!

Last edited Sat Apr 20, 2013, 04:21 PM - Edit history (8)

The Daily Currant...seems to be trying to fool people rather than make a point.

I once described The Onion as being able to "take a crumb of truth and turn it into a three-tiered cake with frosting." Andy Borowitz is in their weight class, but not the Currant, despite their claim that their international perspective is what distinguishes them. Because they try to exploit the moment rather than make a point with it, their crumbs of truth come out as wet, cold porridge.

The Currant's story about Marco Rubio's GOP state of the Union response speech is titled Rubio Introduces Bill to Fund Dehydration Awareness; the Onion's, Rich White People Get Latino Guy To Do Some Work For Them. See the difference?

rocktivity

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 02:08 PM

Puzzledtraveller (5,901 posts)

7. Wow, Wapo duped LOL

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 02:08 PM

Buzz Clik (38,437 posts)

8. Anybody -- ANYBODY -- who believe what they read in the web without rigorous validation...

... is a fool.

The WaPo should be ashamed and ready for a volley of well-deserved ridicule.

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Tue Feb 12, 2013, 02:09 PM

Bennyboy (10,440 posts)

9. So funny< I didn't bite on this one but have in the past.

How Wash Post did not already have the DC Flagged for satire is weird if you ask me. I know now for about two months I'd say that I knew (I got hooked once or twice myself)

They are great satire, cutting a bit closer to the truth than the Onion does.

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Wed Feb 13, 2013, 03:51 PM

benld74 (8,162 posts)

11. The Sarah Palin Story is a cautionary tale about what can happen when,,,

contributing journalists DO NOT GO THE EXTRA step to VETT their OWN STORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Response to Newsjock (Original post)

Wed Feb 13, 2013, 07:13 PM

obxhead (8,434 posts)

12. Fact checking.

It's what legitimate news sources do.

If the WAPO can not or will not do this, then they should no longer be considered a legitimate news source.

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