Gothic
BANNED
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2016
- Messages
- 1,088
- Reaction score
- -5
- Country
- Location
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/business/media/paul-horner-dead-fake-news.html?mcubz=1
Paul Horner, during a CNN appearance distributed via YouTube. CreditCNN, via YouTube
Paul Horner, a writer who trolled the nation with his fabricated news stories and claimed that he was responsible for Donald J. Trump’s election victory, died last week. The cause was a suspected drug overdose, the authorities in Arizona said Wednesday.
Mr. Horner, 38, was found dead in his bed in Laveen, Ariz., on Sept. 18, according to Mark Casey, a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
His family said he had been known to abuse prescription drugs, Mr. Casey said, and “evidence at the scene suggested this could be an accidental overdose.” There were no signs of foul play.
Mr. Horner’s fraudulent articles could be found on Facebook, various news domains that he created, and in years past, on the fake news website National Report.
Even his byline was fake. He often went by the name Jimmy Rustling, as he did on this story, in which he claimed protesters were getting paid $3,500 to disrupt Trump rallies.
Continue reading the main story
FEATURE
How Fake News Turned a Small Town Upside Down SEPT. 26, 2017
ADVERTISEMENT
Continue reading the main story
That article, which was tweeted out by Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, now has a taunting disclaimer at the top that says the story isn’t real: “I personally went to two Donald Trump rallies and I can say with 100% certainty that NONE of the protesters were getting paid,” the statement says. “This story I wrote is mocking all of you sheep who think protesters are getting paid.”
His domains, like newsexaminer.net and cnn.com.de, had names conveying a whiff of legitimacy.
On the former, a story surfaced appearing to be an interview with Mr. Horner. He was described as a former Secret Service agent who had written a book to expose “the real truth” about Barack Obama. The fake story said that Mr. Horner was “one-hundred-percent positive that President Obama is not only gay, but a radical Muslim as well.”
DealBook
DealBook delivers the news driving the markets and the conversation. Delivered weekday mornings and afternoons.
It was so widely shared that The Associated Press debunked it last year.
In an interview with The Washington Post in November, Mr. Horner said he was the reason Mr. Trump had been elected. The interview led to a round of media appearances.
“My sites were picked up by Trump supporters all the time,” he told The Post. “I think Trump is in the White House because of me. His followers don’t fact-check anything — they’ll post everything, believe anything. His campaign manager posted my story about a protester getting paid $3,500 as fact. Like, I made that up. I posted a fake ad on Craigslist.”
In 2013, one of his articles stating that President Obama would use his money to open a Muslim culture museum was apparently so convincing that Fox News reported on it.
Fox later apologized for the gaffe.
Follow
Anna Kooiman
✔@annakooiman
Just met w producers- I made a mistake yday after receiving flawed research abt a museum possibly closing. My apologies. Won't happen again.
6:15 PM - Oct 6, 2013
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Mr. Horner has been described as a hoaxer and a liar, but in 2014 he told The Washington Post that he was actually aiming to be funny.
“Do you know who Bob Odenkirk is? Saul in ‘Breaking Bad’?” he told the paper. “He is so funny. He just does the funniest sketch comedy — it’s really weird, and just ridiculous. I love that kind of humor … That’s what I want to do.”
Paul Horner, during a CNN appearance distributed via YouTube. CreditCNN, via YouTube
Paul Horner, a writer who trolled the nation with his fabricated news stories and claimed that he was responsible for Donald J. Trump’s election victory, died last week. The cause was a suspected drug overdose, the authorities in Arizona said Wednesday.
Mr. Horner, 38, was found dead in his bed in Laveen, Ariz., on Sept. 18, according to Mark Casey, a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
His family said he had been known to abuse prescription drugs, Mr. Casey said, and “evidence at the scene suggested this could be an accidental overdose.” There were no signs of foul play.
Mr. Horner’s fraudulent articles could be found on Facebook, various news domains that he created, and in years past, on the fake news website National Report.
Even his byline was fake. He often went by the name Jimmy Rustling, as he did on this story, in which he claimed protesters were getting paid $3,500 to disrupt Trump rallies.
Continue reading the main story
FEATURE
How Fake News Turned a Small Town Upside Down SEPT. 26, 2017
ADVERTISEMENT
Continue reading the main story
That article, which was tweeted out by Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, now has a taunting disclaimer at the top that says the story isn’t real: “I personally went to two Donald Trump rallies and I can say with 100% certainty that NONE of the protesters were getting paid,” the statement says. “This story I wrote is mocking all of you sheep who think protesters are getting paid.”
His domains, like newsexaminer.net and cnn.com.de, had names conveying a whiff of legitimacy.
On the former, a story surfaced appearing to be an interview with Mr. Horner. He was described as a former Secret Service agent who had written a book to expose “the real truth” about Barack Obama. The fake story said that Mr. Horner was “one-hundred-percent positive that President Obama is not only gay, but a radical Muslim as well.”
DealBook
DealBook delivers the news driving the markets and the conversation. Delivered weekday mornings and afternoons.
- SEE SAMPLE
- PRIVACY POLICY
- OPT OUT OR CONTACT US ANYTIME
It was so widely shared that The Associated Press debunked it last year.
In an interview with The Washington Post in November, Mr. Horner said he was the reason Mr. Trump had been elected. The interview led to a round of media appearances.
“My sites were picked up by Trump supporters all the time,” he told The Post. “I think Trump is in the White House because of me. His followers don’t fact-check anything — they’ll post everything, believe anything. His campaign manager posted my story about a protester getting paid $3,500 as fact. Like, I made that up. I posted a fake ad on Craigslist.”
In 2013, one of his articles stating that President Obama would use his money to open a Muslim culture museum was apparently so convincing that Fox News reported on it.
Fox later apologized for the gaffe.
Follow
Anna Kooiman ✔@annakooiman
Just met w producers- I made a mistake yday after receiving flawed research abt a museum possibly closing. My apologies. Won't happen again.
6:15 PM - Oct 6, 2013
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Mr. Horner has been described as a hoaxer and a liar, but in 2014 he told The Washington Post that he was actually aiming to be funny.
“Do you know who Bob Odenkirk is? Saul in ‘Breaking Bad’?” he told the paper. “He is so funny. He just does the funniest sketch comedy — it’s really weird, and just ridiculous. I love that kind of humor … That’s what I want to do.”
