Reflection on Social Media Case 3: Tom Petty's 'Death' and Death

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The rise in social media has given the public easier access to information, but that doesn’t always mean that that information is true. The Tom Petty ‘death’ and death case is one of those instances where there is some knowledge that just isn’t correct. This incorrectness can send the whole media into a frenzy, and that’s exactly what it did. The story started with a police report, which was not authorized to be released to the press. This means that the story actually started with a credible source that then was leaked and turned into the story that it is now.
            After the police report leaking the information that Tom Petty had died, several media outlets wrote their own stories on what had happened. Before those stories could be released however, TMZ got a hold of the story and ran with it, claiming that he was in the hospital “fighting for his life.” These reports of Tom Petty’s death were being published mourning the death of a musical icon… but he wasn’t dead yet. His daughter was so upset about the media for using her father as just another story. She messaged @rollingstone after they had sent out their story saying that they didn’t have all the facts right and that her “dad is not dead yet but your f***ing magazine is. Later she gave an update on her Instagram of her father’s condition and issued a statement when he had actually died.

            The story of Tom Petty’s fake death is not the only one and surely won’t be the last death that is reported in the media. Betty White is one of these famous figures who also experienced a similar death by social media. She started trending on twitter and other social media outlets and that scared a lot of people, because for most, their only logical explanation for her trending the way she was could only mean that she was dead. This set off a day of crazy tweets of people sending their regards and thanking her for her genius. This story was later debunked and brought the twitter sphere some peace. But this begs the question… How do these fake news stories get developed and how do we learn how to “fact check” social media?

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 7, 2018 at 10:55 AM

    I like how you talk about this fake new can create a social media frenzy! That is a great way to describe the reaction! Its sad to see what some reporters will do to get attention! I really like your example about Betty White! Any news about her possible passing gains a lot of attention.
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Taylor WhiteFebruary 7, 2018 at 2:50 PM

    Kelsie, I like how you mention another celebrity figure who was a victim of fake news. When I was in high school and was active on Twitter, I remember a rumor going around that Will Smith's son has died. I also liked that you discussed how fake news creates a social media frenzy. It is actual chaos when fake news gets out, as we see from the Tom Petty case.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownFebruary 8, 2018 at 1:18 PM

    I liked how you pointed out this story originated from a trusted source. I also like that you drew attention to the fact that the initial police report wasn't authorized to be released. Likely someone leaked the story in an effort to be first without thoroughly checking their facts first. The results of such a practice are disconcerting to say the least.

    ReplyDelete

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