PropertyValue
?:author
?:datePublished
  • 2018-04-20 (xsd:date)
?:headline
  • Did the BBC Report on a Nuclear War Between NATO and Russia? (en)
?:inLanguage
?:itemReviewed
?:mentions
?:reviewBody
  • A convincing video purportedly showing a news report from the BBC about a nuclear incident between Russia and NATO forces was widely shared on the messaging service WhatsApp, as well as other social media platforms, in April 2018. The footage has since been removed from video-sharing services such as YouTube, but we've compiled a few screenshots and quotes from the fictional report below: No such incident took place, nor did the BBC report that one did. This footage was originally accompanied by a disclaimer labeling it as a fictional dramatisation. The video's description reiterated that this report was a work of fiction and implored viewers not to panic: The original video was clearly labeled as a work of fiction. However, most viewers who encountered this footage in April 2018 watched an edited version from which these disclaimers had been removed. The BBC posted a statement on Twitter to assure viewers that a nuclear war had not started: Actor Mark Ryes was identified as the BBC reporter featured in this video. Ryes told the BBC that he had recorded his part in 2016 for an Irish company called Benchmarking Assessment Group, and that the video was designed as a psychometric test: This isn't the first time that a disclaimer has been removed from a video in order to make it appear genuine. Of course, these hoaxes typically involve somewhat less serious subjects than nuclear war, such as a clip of a surfer being towed by a shark or this video of a skydiver landing on a trampoline. (en)
?:reviewRating
rdf:type
?:url