Fake Twitter Masai dupes “reporters” for two major outlets
Here’s a simple piece of advise for all you journalists out there: don’t use fake Twitter accounts as a source. It makes you look like an idiot.
Today two “credible” reporters did just that. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (@SmithRaps) and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports both reported that Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri had made the decision to take the Raptors job. They were duped. Each of them is apparently following @MasaiUjiriGM, a completely fake Twitter account with 24 Tweets and just over 50 followers.
The account is an obvious fake to anyone who knows Twitter. But each of these numbskulls fell victim to it. Worse, they both blamed evil pranksters for their mistakes rather than accepting responsibility for what they did wrong. It used to be that journalists would look for at least two verified sources before running with a story. Now, in an effort to be “first”, guys like this are willing to stake their reputations on what they read on the internet while doing zero due diligence.
Well, suckers, you reap what you sow. And, if lazy half-hearted reporting is good enough for you, the perils of Twitter will continue to befall you.
