Another prominent liberal website has fallen for a “too good to check” story about a prominent conservative woman.
Jezebel, which focuses on feminist and progressive issues, posted an article titled “Sarah Palin Interviews Guy Who Calls the President ‘N***er Hitler'” in which the former Alaska governor supposedly interviewed a man named George Seymour who had inflammatory comments about President Obama.
The Jezebel piece linked to a website called the National Report.
“Less than five hours after the launch of The Sarah Palin Channel, the fledgling online subscription-based network has landed itself in a major controversy, after a person being interviewed by Palin herself repeatedly referred to President Barack Obama using the highly offensive ‘N’ word,” reads the National Report’s post.
The National Report is a well-known satirical website that often targets conservatives. It has also occasionally fooled liberals eager to believe the site’s entries.
“I hate that n*,” Seymour said, according to National Report.
“He’s a Muslim, gay-loving n* Hitler and there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t wish he was dead or in jail,” the fake article read.
According to the site, Palin did not push back against Seymour’s extremism and even laughed at them.
“Well George, that’s the kind of honest opinion we’re looking for here on the Sarah Palin Channel,” Palin said while laughing, according to the spoof article. “Unedited real talk from a real American like yourself is always welcome here.”
The hoax site added supportive evidence in order to fool more people into believing its satirical entry.
“The live interview, which originally aired at 5:30 PM EST, remained available for streaming on the site until approximately 11:20 PM EST, when it was taken down without warning or explanation. Liberal media watchdogs Media Matters predicts the video received anywhere from 9,000 to 15,000 views before it was taken down,” the post reads.
But none of that happened, and the Jezebel writer, Erin Gloria Ryan, realized it about 30 minutes after publication of her article.
“The site that reported on the interview is actually a parody site,” Ryan wrote. “Once again, my confirmation bias has led me astray. Consider me fooled, and chastened.”
Besides issuing the massive correction, Jezebel also changed the title, removing the racial pejorative.
Confirmation bias is a term used to describe when people embrace or support information that conforms to previously held beliefs. Palin has become the target of ridicule for many on the left, including Jezebel writers. Palin’s announcement of her website was also met with mockery and derision from that side of the political spectrum.
The same effect was at play recently in another article concerning another prominent conservative woman. (RELATED: Liberal Website Falls For Fake Story About Michele Bachmann)
Last week, Think Progress, another liberal website closely aligned with Democratic operatives, posted a false story about Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann. The site linked to a fabricated article claiming that Bachmann believed that immigrant children who have been recently apprehended at the U.S. border should be put in “Americanization” work camps. Think Progress retracted the story.
The Sarah Palin Channel did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller’s request for comment.
