To readers of one news site, it appeared that nearly 100 prominent figures, including Queen Elizabeth, had all suddenly died. No, it wasn’t a celebrity apocalypse, it was simply a mistake of epic proportions.
A French news site accidentally ran obituaries for dozens of celebrities who are still very much alive. Audiences of Radio France Internationale were shocked on Monday to read of the deaths of about 100 prominent figures including Queen Elizabeth II of England, Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, Clint Eastwood, and Brigitte Bardot, according to The New York Times.
The public radio station quickly rectified the mistake and apologized for the blunder, which occurred when it moved its website to a new content management system, resulting in dozens of unedited drafts being published on various platforms such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN.
"We, RFI and the Digital Environments Department of France Médias Monde, the group to which our radio station belongs, first of all apologize to those affected by these obituaries and who may have been offended by this publication, once again made in error," Radio France International wrote in a statement. "We also apologize to you, readers, internet users, who are loyal to us and trust us."
Abdoulaye Wade, who was president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012 and among those declared dead, found the humor in the situation.
"After the announcement of my death on RFI's website following a computer error, I want to reassure that I'm in great shape," he wrote in a post to Facebook. "Not everyone is given to be able to learn about their obituary in their lifetime. I take this opportunity to remind you how important it is to check your sources before sharing information."
While some expressed outrage that the news site had a stockpile of pre-written obituaries, it is not uncommon for media outlets to write obituaries in advance. The New York Times reported having over 1,500 obituaries of well-known people still alive today that are waiting to be updated and published upon their passing, and dozens of other major media organizations follow similar practices.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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