http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=53161 The NewsBiscuit Community en-US Mon, 20 May 2013 00:01:08 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/search.php http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=53161#post-153268 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 21:58:17 +0000 TerribleTim 153268@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>Thanks. I can't help feeling there's a grain of truth in Cleggs role as comedy blame monkey... </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=53161#post-153213 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:50:53 +0000 Gerontius 153213@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>I liked it too Tiny<br /> Hoax deputy PM is an excellent idea.<br /> well...not so much an idea </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=53161#post-153165 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:47:36 +0000 Gaz 153165@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>5* and no spam from me. </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=53161#post-153135 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:41:51 +0000 TerribleTim 153135@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>I wish spammers would at least leave a rating... </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=53161#post-153117 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 07:35:02 +0000 TerribleTim 153117@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>Several online newspapers in Africa have carried stories from satirical website Newsbiscuit reporting that Prime Minister David Cameron is aided in government by a deputy named Nick Clegg. The fictional character, created following the 2010 general election as a humorous plot device, has regularly been referenced within topical sketches as a latter-day Laurel and Hardy style figure serving as the butt of jokes covering a range of topical issues.</p> <p>It is thought that the confusion first arose when Newsbiscuit cast Clegg in a sketch about university tuition fees in which the hapless character reneges on a promise not to increase the amount students have to pay. Zimbabwe's Standard on Sunday carried the story seemingly unaware of the ironic humour intended by the article.</p> <p>A subsequent plotline was then erroneously picked up by the SpyGhana news website on Tuesday in which the Clegg character promises to staunchly oppose Prime Minister David Cameron on press regulation. A red faced spokesman for SpyGhana was forced to admit the mistake after readers pointed out that Cameron was obviously going to get his way.</p> <p>Reading from a prepared statement Samuel Gyan apologised for what he described as an editorial mistake adding that in retrospect it was clearly implausible to think that such a buffoon of a character would be allowed to operate at the highest levels of government, blaming cultural differences in the use of irony for the misunderstanding.</p> <p>It is not the first time a NewsBiscuit article has been taken seriously in Africa. In 2005, a story claiming that Prince Harry wore a swastika to a friend’s fancy dress party caused outrage until newspapers issued a correction.</p> <p>Following the apology from Mr Gyan an unnamed Newsbiscuit executive suggested that the misreporting had mixed implications for the website: "Obviously we welcome the publicity – our website has registered a massive upsurge in web traffic – but things can only go downhill now for our Clegg storylines. I expect we will keep him running for now but write him out of our articles after the next election." </p>