Longview, WA: A fake news site made an epic mistake late Wednesday when they mistakenly reported that a gunman had opened fire at a high school in the city. The site, created by an unknown person and titled “Longview News 12”, published a story claiming that a shooter had entered Garfield High School in Longview and started shooting students. Fortunately, the story was quickly debunked, and officials were able to confirm that there was no active shooter situation at the school. However, the fake news story caused understandable panic and concern among residents. Many people took to social media to warn their friends and family about staying away from school. Thankfully, the scare was easily averted thanks to quick reactions from local authorities and journalists who were able to track down the source of the misinformation. As we have seen repeatedly, fake news can quickly spiral out of control and cause severe damage. Be sure to stay vigilant when it comes to checking sources, and be sure to spread accurate information if you see any questionable stories online.
Background
Longview, Texas, is a town of about 10,000 people located just east of Dallas. It’s a typical American town with a mix of old and new, big and small. But that all changed on November 17th when a bombshell hit Longview.
That bombshell was the discovery that the town had been deceived by a fake news website known as The Daily Currant. The website had published articles claiming that Longview was the home of a secret underground alien base and that the city was in danger of being seized by aliens.
The Daily Currant quickly became infamous for its false stories, and Longview didn’t stand alone in its mistake. Similar stories started popping up all over the country, causing widespread alarm and chaos.
Fortunately, it turns out that all of these stories were fake. The Daily Currant is nothing more than an elaborate hoax funded by online trolls looking to stir up trouble. And while Longview has suffered some damaged reputation due to this hoax, it’s safe to say that everything will eventually work out.
The Article
The fake news website Longview.com made an epic blunder on Saturday when it published a story titled “Texas Teenager Accidentally Shoots and Kills Her Grandmother.”
The story, shared over 1,000 times on social media, claimed a Texas teenager had accidentally shot and killed her grandmother.
But the story was fake. Longview.com quickly realized its mistake and deleted the account from its website.
This isn’t the first time Longview.com has been caught spreading fake news. The site has been banned from Facebook several times for posting false stories about political candidates.
The backlash
Since Longview, a fake news site, became famous online, people have been asking how it got so much traction. Now we know: The site is run by a group of Macedonians who created it as a joke.
The creators of Longview published an article last week claiming White House. Conservative blogs and major news outlets, including Fox News, quickly picked up the report.
But soon after publishing the article, Longview users started noticing that many of its facts needed to be corrected. For example, the report said that President Trump had removed the bust on Inauguration Day; it was taken down several weeks earlier. And the article also claimed that Trump had replaced King’s statue with a figure of Vladimir Putin; in reality, Putin’s portrait has never appeared at the White House.
Eventually, other bloggers started investigating Longview and found that most of its articles were fake. For example, one post claims that NASA has announced plans to put men on Mars by 2035; in reality, NASA has never reported such a plan, and there is no evidence to support it.
The revelations about Longview have caused widespread embarrassment for conservatives online who were duped by the site.
What Longview Did Wrong
The blog post, “Longview Busted News Site Makes Epic Gaffe,” begins by pointing out that an article on a fake news site purporting to be from Longview is full of factual errors. The report alleges that the city’s police department is in crisis, that crime rates are soaring, and that the mayor is corrupt.
The blog posts argue that this article is a clear example of fake news, which harms society by spreading false information. It also points out that this fake news article could have severe consequences for Longview, as it could lead to distrust of the city’s officials and cause people to lose faith in the media.
The blog post concludes by urging readers to be careful when reading online articles and to use caution when trusting the information they find online.
What they Should Have Done
In light of the recent Washington Post/ABC News poll that found 42 percent of Americans believe fake news stories influence their opinions, Longview Independent newspaper decided to commission a phony article about their city. The report, published on November 17th, was written by an anonymous author who claimed that Longview was in the middle of a crime wave.
The story included statistics that did not reflect reality and made ridiculous claims, such as Longview being the “murder capital” of Texas. Even though the article was fake, it was shared online more than 1,000 times before it was debunked.
Longview’s mayor, Tony Smith, said he is “frustrated” by how easily the hoax article fooled people. He added that he wishes more people would use their critical thinking skills when reading news articles online.
Conclusion
Longview Busted news site that purports to be a satire website, made an epic blunder this weekend when they published an article claiming that the moon landing was faked. The report has since been taken down, but only after causing severe damage. As it turns out, Longview Busted is another fake news site that publishes fabricated stories to deceive people and gain attention. Use caution when clicking on links shared online, and don’t believe everything you read – especially if it comes from a seemingly unreliable source like Longview Busted.