So there I was getting all worked up over a story about crazy Harry Potter fans making ridiculous demands, only to find that the story had been denounced as wholly fictitious.
The story was that a new power cable linking the UK national grid to Ireland had to be diverted because it was due to pass under the grave of a Harry Potter character, namely Dobby, the fictitious elf.
The construction company supposedly got hundreds of calls
demanding the cable be rerouted to avoid “desecrating” the supposed grave.
I wondered straightaway if the story was genuine, because it was so far-fetched, but I couldn't find any correction anywhere. It appeared in several mainstream sources (BBC, Guardian, CNN, Irish Times etc), and was so full of convincing details (even naming the project manager) that I swallowed my doubts and ran with it.
And was totally fooled. Oh well, somebody must be laughing themselves stupid over how many people were taken in.
Yep, I read about that too - completely nuts.
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Ms Scarlet: Infidel tells me the story is entirely invented. I have to assume he's right.
DeleteThis story is disputed.
ReplyDeleteInfidel: I did wonder if it was maybe a fake story, but as it appeared in several mainstream sources I concluded it was true. So my post should have been about how a complete fabrication achieves widespread credibility.
DeleteI don't even understand what an imaginary grave even is? But I never read the series.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Imaginary in the sense that it was fictitious and not even a real grave.
DeleteThis is a pretty benign fabricated story compared to what we hear and read daily over here.
ReplyDeleteSandra: Indeed, there are some extremely nasty stories out there, beside which this one is pretty harmless.
DeleteI've had that happen before. I tend to look up things a lot now a days with so many fake things floating around the interwebs.
ReplyDeleteMary: The other odd thing is that none of the media outlets I mentioned seem to have published a correction. Do they not know the story is dubious?
DeleteGuess I missed this one, Nick, but then fake news seems to be on the rise everywhere.
ReplyDeleteBeatrice: It's extremely plausible because of so many convincing details.
DeleteHello from Alberta.
ReplyDeleteTwo times I give a story a free pass, smiling, without calling it fake:
one) if told to me for fun in a bar, and
two) if in print during summer... when news is slow, parliament is on holiday, and I want a "bright" in my life. Reporters know I need brights. Until September, I expect a flying saucer sighting any day now.
Sean: It's still ambiguous whether the story is true or false. It's absurdly far-fetched but I haven't seen any corrections anywhere.
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