Sunday, September 6, 2009

Web Video Pick of the Week - The Onion 'Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids'

This week's 'Web Video Pick of the Week' goes to fake news agency The Onion for their social media satire, Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids. (Disclaimer: the video contains strong language and is not intended for viewers under 18 years of age.) 

In this episode of Today Now!, the Onion News Network's lively and informative morning program, 'E-Mom' Gloria Bianco shows co-hosts Jim Haggerty and  Tracy Gil how to use the Internet to monitor your child's every move. Geographical distance is no longer a roadblock to shamelessly interfere in the lives of your college-aged kids when you can stalk them through Facebook and Twitter.  This one scores high in creep factor.



One giant misstep for Bangladesh News 
Extra points for The Onion for duping two newspapers in Bangladesh this past week into believing their fake news story,  Conspiracy Theorist Convinces Neil Armstrong Moon Landing Was Faked | The Onion - America's Finest News Source, which said:
"Apollo 11 mission commander and famed astronaut Neil Armstrong shocked reporters at a press conference Monday, announcing he had been convinced that his historic first step on the moon was part of an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the United States government."
The two Bangladeshi newspapers, the Daily Manabzamin and The New Nation, published the story which appeared on The Onion website last week which they believed was a genuine news site. It was translated into Bengal and ran in both newspapers on Wednesday and Thursday and attributed to Onion News Network, Lebanon, Ohio. Both have since apologized to their readers for being so gullible. 

The associate editor Hasanuzzuman Khan of The New Nation told Agence France-Presse:
"We thought it was true so we printed it without checking. We didn't know The Onion was not a real news site." 
An embarrassed Manabzamin printed the following apology:
"The report has drawn a lot of attention. We've since learned that the fun site runs false and juicy reports based on a historic incident. The moon landing one was such a story, which received numerous hits on the internet. The truth is that Neil Armstrong never gave such an interview. It was made up. We are sorry for publishing the report without checking the information."
Chalk this week up to The Onion for the 'Web Video Pick of the Week' and possibly a new feature, 'Hoax of the Week'! ;-) 

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