Fake News! (Dot Com)
So you want to start a topical blog that will be adored across the land, especially by the super-smart, media-hip blogosphere? I've got the perfect idea for a young journalist entrepreneur like youself: a blog all about Fake News. There's so much to feed on here, with everything from The Daily Show's crazy success to The Onion expanding the print edition across the country to whack characters like Ali G and Mo Rocca being taken seriously. In addition to everything that's happening in the Fake News Industry, your faux-media-blog could mix in all the quasi-news of the day being produced by Bill O'Reilly's screamfest and Al Gore's upcoming network. Add a dash of RatherGate and a pinch of PR Passing For News, and you could have yourself a hit. You could get ahead of the faker hegemony by posting the Top 10 Spoof-Ready Stories each day (probably snagged right off Fark, and appearing as Leno punchlines later that night -- especially that one about Kerry's fake tan). You could become the Romenesko of Fake News! This idea is dot-com bank. Nick Denton or MediaBistro would be knocking down your door within days. This is your moment of zen!
To get you started, I've even got some posts for you:
Tina Fey's new SNL sidekick on "Weekend Update" is.... Amy Poehler. Here's a transcript and a video of the season's first episode. Finally, a double-female fake news anchor team. A great day in fake news equality!
FoxNews.com wrote and published a fake news story about Kerry's metrosexuality, and retracted it citing "bad judgment." Here's a Times story on the whole thing, and here's the Lost Remote gang debating it. I ask you to forget about the ethics of this imbroglio -- instead ask yourself, does this signal the mainstream press's attempt to get into the Fake News business? Yes!
Drudge Exclusive! Did Kerry Have A Cheat Sheet? With video! What a faker!
William Shatner went to Riverside, Iowa saying he was going to make a movie. After hiring local actors and giving stories to newspapers, he recently revealed that the entire thing is a fake. Instead, Invasion Iowa is going to be a reality tv show. Shatner faked out a whole damn town!
Times Book Review on the new Daily Show book, which debuted at #1 on the Times Bestseller List. Serious review of fake book!
Howard Kurtz watches the network anchors circle the wagons in the Wash Post Mag. What a bunch of fakes!
BoingBoing reviews the new Matt Stone / Trey Parker puppet political parody, Team America: World Police. Puppets are fake people!
A college newspaper columnist says The Best News is Fake News. The kids have spoken, and they want fake news!
You Forgot Poland Dot Com. Funny fake websites!
The Borowitz Report reportedly gets 100,000 uniques per day. Fake do-it-yourself news!
Onion Headline of the Week: Documents Reveal Gaps In Bush's Service As President. Classic fake!
Jon Stewart on Fresh Air. Jon Stewart does a promo video for Amazon. Jon Stewart is everywhere -- what a fake!
Torrent link of post-debate Daily Show. More! Fake! News!
Sunday Times Styles surveys the whole fake news scene. Fake fakery!
Even the political parties are getting into this game. The DNC released a remix video with footage of Bush from the debates. Fake politicking!
Steal this fake blog idea before someone else cashes in!
