ABCnews.com.co
 | |
| Available in | English |
|---|---|
| Owner | Paul Horner |
| URL | abcnews.com.co (defunct) |
ABCnews.com.co was a fake news website which mimicked the URL, design and logo of the ABC News website.[1] Many stories from ABCnews.com.co were widely shared before being debunked.[2]
The website's disclaimer page gave the address of the Westboro Baptist Church as its primary location.[3]
Paul Horner, the late owner of the site, claimed to make $10,000 per month from advertising traffic.[4][5]
Examples of fake news stories
ABCnews.com.co promulgated stories about prominent figures and organizations, including:
- Anti-Trump protesters hired from Craigslist paid as much as $3,500[4][5]
- El Chapo escaped from Mexican prison again[6]
- President Barack Obama signed an order banning assault weapon sales[2]
- Michael Jordan intended to move the Charlotte Hornets out of North Carolina if the state did not revoke a law disallowing transgender people access to restrooms[7]
- The Supreme Court of the United States revoked the tax-exempt status of the Church of Scientology[8]
See also
References
- ^ Murtha, Jack (May 26, 2016). "How fake news sites frequently trick big-time journalists". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "Here's how to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed". KXLH. Archived from the original on 2016-11-20. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ "Contact - ABC News". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2016-11-20. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Jacobson, Louis (November 17, 2016). "No, someone wasn't paid $3,500 to protest Donald Trump; it's fake news". Politifact. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ a b Dewey, Caitlin (November 17, 2016). "Facebook fake-news writer: 'I think Donald Trump is in the White House because of me'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Woody, Christopher (July 9, 2016). "Mexico's government shut down rumors of 'El Chapo' Guzmán's escape with this one photo". Business Insider. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Routhier, Ray (June 5, 2016). "Katy Perry's moving to Maine?! No, actually. Fake news strikes again". The Portland Press Herald. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Wade, Peter (March 12, 2016). "Don't Believe the Fake Reports. The Church of Scientology Is Still Tax Exempt". Esquire. Retrieved May 17, 2018.