Some big industry names, including Toronto’s Globe & Mail and Agence France Presse, quoted some of his statements about Islam, such as “What’s Islamic extremism? It’s strict adherence to a particular interpretation of seventh century Islamic law as practiced by the prophet Mohammed, and when I say ’strict adherence’, I’m not kidding around.”

“The quotes many in the press gathered from a Facebook profile were literally too good to be true,” commented Editor & Publisher.

The story obviously illustrates the increasing difficulties for mainstream media to maintain their level of accuracy online and in the online world. For two simple reasons: newspapers are increasingly pressured to break news virtually immediately on the Web, while trying to sustain their quality and accuracy checks. Secondly, the Web has made it extremely easy to post fake or misleading news, which is quickly picked up, echoed and deformed in the age of the blogosphere and online buzz.

The fake Bhutto son Facebook story comes as yet another warning to traditional media, which more than ever must distinguish themselves from other sources by maintaining their accuracy and credibility.

The identity of the prankster is unknown, but Bhutto associates have guessed it was a Pakistani government agent and The New York Times identified the prankster as someone who calls himself “Tonay.”

The fake Facebook profile was pulled down, and it turns out the real Bhutto son already had an existing profile, which you can read more about by checking out the Times’ Lede blog.

Source: Editor & Publisher – Lede Blog