Irish student hoaxes world's media with fake quote

Tom Dunne

As an experiment to show how lazy journalists are becoming, Shane Fitzgerald decided to put a fake quote onto Wikipedia to see how many would pick it up when composer Maurice Jarre died recently.

And sure enough, plenty did. What's worse, only the Guardian in the UK openly admitted it, a lot of publications appeared to have brushed it under the carpet and retrospectively edited articles.

A further example of declining standards in worldwide journalism.

Linky.

Sleipnir

Private Eye reports that sort of thing all the time. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

lostexpectation

lets see who reports its as dodgey ol wikpedia and who reports it properly as journalists not double checking their sources

thebman

I think we all know this is happening and it is sad that some journalists couldn't be arsed doing their job properly anymore.

I'm sure were even aware but prefer to leave it in as a false quote as it sounded good.

Tarzan007

And here is the actual quote

"One could say my life itself has been one long soundtrack," Fitzgerald's fake Jarre quote read. "Music was my life, music brought me to life, and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head that only I can hear."

Pretty cool stunt I must say.