One of the greatest aspects of the Web is the ability to read bizarre stories — those types of stories that traditionally were buried deep inside the newspaper. Of course, part of the problem with all the bizarre stories is determining if they are true or not.
But since there are plenty of fact-checking sites even that is getting easier. One of the latest fact-checking sites, Emergent.info, — a real-time rumor tracker — offers a weekly roundup of stories proven true or debunked as false.
Such is the case of the five-year-old boy who RSVP’d that he was going to a birthday party — then didn’t go because of a scheduling conflict. The story as reported in an England newspaper is funny because it is treated like a genuine news event. Here is an excerpt of the father explaining why his son Alex failed to attend the classmate’s party.
But Mr Nash later realised he had arranged for Alex and his sister Lily to [go] out for a day trip with their grandparents. “By this time we did not have a contact number, email or an address to let [the boy’s mother] know,” explained Mr Nash. “So on the day of the party we asked Alex what he wanted to do; he chose to be with his grandparents.”
Learn more
If you want to test your skill on whether or not a viral story is true try Emergent’s weekly quiz — or you can read in real time rumors they are tracking — by visiting their website at emergent.info.
Charlie R. Claywell 