Image Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo / Contributor / Getty Images
2016 has been the year of fake news, so it’s apt that it would take a bow with a falsified story regarding Queen Elizabeth’s death, followed by a swarm of angry Twitter users speculating that the story is real and that the media is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
Last night fake BBC News accounts began tweeting that the Queen had died of “unknown circumstances” at the age of 90. Soon people began retweeting these accounts, leading to the hashtag #MediaBlackout trending on Twitter as a result of a belief that, for some reason, major news outlets had decided to not report upon her passing.
There are fake BBC Twitter accounts claiming that Queen Elizabeth has died. It’s a hoax. Pls don’t RT them. pic.twitter.com/w5gXACf1I1
— Craig Silverman (@CraigSilverman) December 29, 2016
Given that 2016 has seen a great number of celebrity deaths, it isn’t surprising that people were quick to believe this particular fake news story. However, the ensuing hysteria surrounding #MediaBlackout led to suggestions that news outlets had decided to hold off on reporting upon her passing until 8am, for reasons unbeknownst to anyone.
https://twitter.com/Foo_fan_Shaun/status/814729607651979265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The growing concern regarding The Queen’s health led to Buckingham Palace releasing a statement to the press, reading: “The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh continue to recover from their heavy colds.” But before the release of this statement, The Queen’s more ardent supporters decided to check on her in person, with some even travelling to Buckingham Palace this morning to see what the fuss was about:
Just did a jet lagged jog to the palace. It's totally quiet, nothing is going on. Silly twitter. #LongLiveTheQueen! #mediablackout pic.twitter.com/L1uqGvwO9X
— Charlie Archer (@1CharlieArcher) December 30, 2016
As 8am came and went, conspiracy theorists were forced to concede that no media blackout had been enforced, and that The Queen was alive and well despite having a case of the sniffles.
