Friday, July 25, 2014

It's Believable

Good satire needs two qualities: It has to sound authentic enough to be believable, and it has to be something the reader or listener actual wants to believe.

Winner.

MSNBC Anchor Resigns; Admits to Spreading “Lies on Behalf of Obama” 


The article appeared on the National Report website.  National Report is an Onion wannabe.  Readers who don't know it's a satire site want to believe the MSNBC anchor actually said this:
“I have spent my entire professional career working toward a position based on false pretenses.  I have worked hard to obtain a position with a major news network and expected to be reporting on serious issues.  Instead, I am handed Pro-Obama scripts and asked to be a mouthpiece for the administration.”
Except she didn't say that.  Readers believed that she did, even after National Report added a few lines at the bottom of the article that should tip off any reader that it isn't a real story. Didn't work. Commenters still believe that it's true, even after even after other commenters try to point out that it never happened, that the story is false.

Well done, National Report.  Article here.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

"...Instead, I am handed Pro-Obama scripts and asked to be a mouthpiece for the administration.”

Sadly, that is precisely what is happening. Even more pathetic is that most people on the blind-faith left are fine with it.

Michael Haz said...

It is so believable, isn't it?

William said...

MSNBC is more apt to ignore than to lie. If Eric Holder got caught in a cannibal sex cult, their lead story would be Sarah Palin's speeding ticket. The number of stories highlighting Christie's bridge closure is inversely proportional to the number of scandals affecting the Obama administration.

KCFleming said...

MSNBC makes PRAVDA blush.

YoungHegelian said...

In a like vein, I love following the Salon parodies on Twitter.

My personal favorite so far:

'Anger is a healthy response’: This Bastille Day, let’s remember the social justice potential of unhinged bloodlust.

Michael Haz said...

Pogo: Rightly so. The English language version of Pravda online has more often criticized Obama's rush toward socialist policies than has any US newspaper.

Michael Haz said...

Young H: the Salon parody tweets are brilliant. Not sure who is doing them now, but Ace started them. The Vox parody tweets are also quite funny.

KCFleming said...

50 Shades of MSNBC.

They like it when Obama treats them bad.

bagoh20 said...

You don't need a confession to establish an obvious fact.

KCFleming said...

In addition to an ID badge, new hires at MSNBC get knee pads, paper towels and a bib.

edutcher said...

Would that it were true.

Chip S. said...

Lots of apparently satirical news stories today.

Amartel said...

Brilliant.