Fake News: Michael Jordan Death Hoax
February 2015, An article was published by the website Cronica MX stating that the Former Basketball star Michael Jordan Had passed away from a heart attack in his sleep at the age of 52. The article shows an image of Michael Jordan when he was playing as number 23 on the Chicago Bulls. The story states that Michael Jordan was found dead by his wife in his home in North Carolina around 3 AM eastern time and that his wife called 911 after her husband was showing no vital signs. Jordans' wife apparently gives a public statement following his death in which she said that Jordan was a great person and everybody loved him. This type of story is one of the easier fake news stories to debunk as usually the first question you ask yourself when you see this is “is this real” followed by a quick search on the internet to collect your answer. Like so many other news stories these days, with some quick research, it is proven that this article is in fact a hoax and a good example of Fake News.
A quick search on the internet about “Michael Jordens death” shows an article by Snopes that Proves the story and a good amount of the information that was given was not true. The Website that posted the Original article (Cronica MX) is known for spreading misinformation and even creating fake news stories on a number of occasions. The fake news story shows a video in an attempt to give the claim of his death some weight. The video is of reporter Rich Eisen giving a tearful goodbye to the NBA legend. After getting about halfway through the video it becomes clear that Rich Eisen is not talking about Micheal Jordan as he says “Stuart would want you to know to keep fighting” to people who are battling cancer. While doing a reverse video search it showed that the video used in the article is not about Michael Jorden at all and is actually reporting on ESPN anchor Stuart Scott who passed away. This video aired on an NFL GameDay broadcast from January 2015 and had nothing to do with Michael Jordans supposed death. Snopes referred to the video they provided as a “dead giveaway” about whether or not the article was true. After looking deeper at the possible motives for this fake news story It is clear that this news source wanted to use the fake death of NBA legend Michael Jordan to give them more traffic to their website and social media pages.
This hoax is so obviously fake and does not take much research or time to figure this out. Fake death claims are becoming more and more common as social media and online/24hour news grows. Michael Jordan was alive and his public presence was all that was needed in order to disprove this article. Key information like spelling and grammatical errors as well as the video that does not pertain to him are all clear indications that this news source is spreading misinformation.
Social media has offered up a new expedited way to collect and transmit information across the globe. Although this may seem like a good thing it can also be used incorrectly or with malicious intent. News is becoming more abundant but has taken a turn for the worst in terms of quality. Anyone with a platform and keyboard can now make news and unleash it on the public. This hoax is a prime example of fake news and can be used to learn about fact-checking some shady news sources in the future.
Works Cited
“Noticias — Cronica.Com.Mx.” Cronica, www.cronica.com.mx/nacional. Accessed 20 Oct. 2021.
“Rich Eisen Remember’s ESPN’s Stuart Scott.” YouTube, uploaded by Alex Maxham, 4 Jan. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW_vum6AuK0&t=132s.
Snopes. “Michael Jordan Death Hoax.” Snopes.Com, 23 Apr. 2015, www.snopes.com/fact-check/michael-jordan-death-hoax.
