Almost every day we are told to be careful when it comes to believing things that generate from the internet. People from my generation get most of their news from social media outlets as well as websites. With all of the false information going around, I think it is important to be able to identify what?s real and what is bogus. Below is an example.
According to a news outlet, most known for its multiple share history on Facebook and Twitter, Huzlers.com came out with an article about Bill Nye The Science Guy. The article claims that Bill Nye was arrested for manufacturing and selling drugs. (Bill Nye) Marijuana, meth, and acid were just a few illegal substances that Huzlers listed when describing what drugs he was creating. They claim that due to his background in science, whether its chemical, biological, or environmental, Bill Nye is not unfamiliar with it. In order to create these drugs, you have to have some understanding of how science and chemistry work. (Bill Nye)
Bill Nye during filming on an episode of ?Bill Nye The Science Guy?.
According to Huzler?s article, Bill Nye was responsible for more than 19% of drug sales in Los Angeles, California, as of year 2020. The detective operating this drug bust, Cornell Guyers, says he found six million dollars in US currency hidden in Nye?s home. Guyer?s claims Bill Nye was taken into custody and is awaiting trial. Guyer says that because of Bill Nye?s level of expertise and the evidence they have gathered throughout the investigation that Bill may be facing a life sentence in prison. (Bill Nye)
After doing some research, Snopes, a very useful fact-checker on the internet, debunked this strange accusation. According to Snope?s website ?This text is not based on credible news reports. It is actually a verbatim copy of a paragraph that originally appeared in a piece of fiction published in 2014 on the website Huzlers.? (qtd. Was Tv Host?) Snope also stated that Huzler?s website is strictly a satirical website but they inform their readers in the fine print.
Huzler?s ?fine print? and policy page
With that being said, Huzler?s gets away with spreading fake news and false accusations by allowing people to believe what they share is real. After researching their page, I found only one area that explained the difference between their page and credible news pages. It was actually accessed after quite a few clicks. Most people when sharing news does not take the time to research the source they are obtaining this information from. If we were to read the fine print, do some exploring on the website that released the information, or double-check on other sites, we may be able to stop the ?fake news? crisis.
Works Cited
?Bill Nye The Science Guy Arrested For Manufacturing And Selling Illegal Drugs.? Huzlers, 1 Feb. 2020, www.huzlers.com/breaking-bill-nye-science-guy-arrested-manufacturing-selling-illegal-drugs/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2020.
Staff, Snopes. ?Was TV Host Bill Nye Arrested for Manufacturing and Selling Illegal Drugs?? Snopes.Com, 12 Sept. 2019, snopes.com/fact-check/bill-nye-arrested-illegal-drugs/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2020.
