No, Queen Elizabeth isn’t dead, although Twitter hoax tricked plenty
The news had an air of believability: Queen Elizabeth is 90 years old and has been in poor health recently
Many people would argue 2016 was the year of celebrity deaths. Some might say it was the year
of so-called fake news. One story shows it may have been both.
Late on Thursday, the Twitter account @BBCNewsUKI sent out a message claiming Buckingham Palace had announced the death of Queen Elizabeth. “Circumstances are unknown,” the tweet read. “More details to follow.”
The news had an air of believability: Elizabeth is 90 and has been in poor health recently.
Last year, for the first time in three decades, she failed to attend a Christmas Day church service near her country home in Norfolk after suffering what was described as a “heavy cold.” The queen has not appeared in public since.
Additionally, if the queen were to pass away, it is the BBC that would make the announcement. Britain’s public service broadcaster is known to hold regular rehearsals in case a member of the royal family dies unexpectedly.
Guidelines were produced and laminated. Elaborate chains of editorial command were established