This is getting good. Scary how a false story gets propelled into news... Here's the time line:
-- On February 7, 2008 the UK based comedy satire site The Daily Squib posts a joke article titled: Ku Klux Klan Endorses Obama. This joke post becomes an "internet rumor" which is pretty quickly sourced and debunked by Snopes.
-- April 3, 2008 - Unfortunately, even though the "KKK supports Obama" meme is easily found to be the creation of a comedy web site, people will believe what they want to believe, which Snoop Dogg proves by saying "The KKK gave Obama money." in an interview with Emma Forrest of the Guardian UK. Now the satirical untruth has "news" legs. Neither Forrest nor the Guardian attempt to source the quote by Snoop. (Which is at this point a pretty huge internet rumor and e-mail campaign.)
-- That same day, the SF Gate gossip section The Daily Dish picks up the Snoop quote:
Hip-hop star Snoop Dogg has launched a scathing attack on U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama, accusing him of gleaning support from the Ku Klux Klan.
The SF Gate does not attempt to source the information quoted by Snoop. At this point the internet rumor is almost two months old and well traveled and known about.
-- Additionally on April 3, 2008, a number of conservative blogs pick up the Snoop quote and run with it. None of these bloggers sources the information in the Snoop quote as being from The Daily Squib.
-- April 6, 2008 - The Klu Klux Klan feels compelled to release a statement stating that they do not endorse Obama, refering to the situation as "yellow journalism".
-- April 7,2008 - Even though the Klu Klux Klan has renounced the "KKK supports Obama" meme, paragons of intellect still continue to hoist the story onto the laps of an ever increasingly rabid American public, hungry for gossip.
-- Meanwhile, seeing a windfall, The Daily Squib reports: Snoop Dogg Announces New KKK Album!
Cross posted at the s.n.a.f.u. principle: http://tinyurl.com/...