Path: perun!news2.panix.com!panix!feed1.news.erols.com!howland.erols.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!uunet!news-in2.uu.net!news.callamer.com!news@twizzler.callamer.com From: "Brian G. Hughes" <bhughes@slonet.org> Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans Subject: Anatomy of a Hoax Message-ID: <3260422F.115654B7@slonet.org> Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 18:13:19 -0700 Organization: Call America Internet Services +1 (805) 541 6316 Lines: 47 NNTP-Posting-Host: boobs.eorbit.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The press release went out in mid-week. "Arm the Homeless to Donate Firearms, Training to S.L.O Homeless Community." Modeled after a similar ATH hoax done a few years back by some OSU students in Columbus, Ohio, this version had the press jumping. "[F]or someone in the underclass, a firearm works as 'the great equalizer,'" the press-release read. "[A] homeless person with a gun is just as powerful as his wealthy or politically powerful counterpart..." The answering machine I set up to take ATH calls was soon swamped with interview requests from the local newspaper and newsweekly and the local television station. I wrote up a bulletin and schedule of events for our fictitious organization, including fund-raising rallies, interviews with homeless folks, and weapons training. I then called some friends and enlisted their help. Early the next week, we arranged to fake an officers meeting to discuss our interviews with homeless folks and decide which ones to donate guns to. We then invited the press. The first to show was the K--- camera crew. Shortly after they arrived, a confederate dressed somewhat bum-like showed up, rolling a shopping cart full of junk. One of the items was three firearms wrapped in a ragged blanket. The camera crew went nuts, and our confederate explained that he'd managed to pick these up on the cheap and they only had to be doctored a little. The newspaper and newsweekly reporters showed up next. Even though the newspaper reporter had found out about the Columbus hoax on the web, the reporters stuck around and covered our meeting. They so much /wanted/ to believe this great story that they were willing to buy any story I gave them. We were the top story at six and the number two story at eleven. Alas, the police got interested, and we didn't really want to get them upset (you wouldn't like him when he's angry), so we fessed up. But it was good while it lasted.