Taxpayers beware: Major renovations are being planned for the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., which include a retractable dome. The new building will have more bathrooms and better parking. “Don’t get us wrong: We love the drafty old building,” says House Speaker Dennis Hastert. “But the hard reality is, it’s no longer suitable for a world-class legislative branch. The sight lines are bad, there aren’t enough concession stands or bathrooms, and the parking is miserable.”
Minority Leader Dick Gephardt says, ?Look at the British Parliament. Look at the Vatican…Without modern facilities, they?ve been having trouble attracting top talent.”
Do you believe this? The Beijing Evening News did. Turns out it?s a spoof from the Onion humor website, but the Chinese paper, with a circulation of 1.25 million, reported the story verbatim, as hard news.
When told about his mistake, Yu Bin, the editor in charge of international news, said, ?How can you prove it?s not correct? Is it incorrect just because you say it is??
Robert Siegel, editor-in-chief of the Onion, says, ?Wow, even journalists believe everything they read?Maybe I was na?ve, but I thought reporters would be smarter.?
Do you believe everything you read? Learn how to find the truth in the media by reading ?Into the Buzzsaw? by Kristina Borjesson, now back in stock after being reprinted, click here.
To read the entire Onion spoof,click here.
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