China Fooled by Satire on Post Sale

Shame on you, Chinese state media, for being fooled twice—that we know of—by American satire. People’s Daily Online, along with Xinhua and China News, reprinted several jokes in comedian Andy Borowitz’s article “Amazon Founder Says He Clicked on Washington Post By Mistake” as fact. In China’s defense, the post was originally on The New Yorker’s website, which, despite regularly featuring satirical articles, can be relied on more than The Onion to report real news. But, really, that’s no excuse. One would think the press would have wised up after re-reporting The Onion’s announcement that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un had been named the “Sexiest Man Alive” back in November.