A local Fox affiliate in Memphis is getting a bit of unwanted attention after making a Facebook post about the riots occurring in Baltimore. On April 27, FOX13 posted a picture of a massive fire engulfing huge sections of Baltimore, and it appeared as if a McDonaldâs and a large office building were in danger of soon being consumed. The caption read âBALTIMORE IN FLAMES,â but the photo looked eerily familiar.
FOX NEWS CHANNELâS FAKE BALTIMORE RIOT PHOTO
The night this Fox news affiliate posted their photo, a CVS in Baltimore actually was burned down. The photo they posted on Facebook, however, wasnât of the CVS. In fact, it wasnât of Baltimore at all. See if you can recognize it:
Give up? This fake Baltimore photo is from the 2014Â Venezuela riots. Thatâs right: Fox posted a photo taken around 2,000 miles away and claimed that it was in the center of Baltimore. With the photo, they included the following text to bring people to their website:
âBALTIMORE IN FLAMES: A massive fire has broken out in a building that was under construction and the Baltimore mayorâs spokesman says itâs related to the riotsâŠâ
Did he now? The Baltimore mayorâs spokesman said that a 15-month-old fire that took place in Venezuela was a result of the Baltimore riots? Well, okay then. Thereâs no doubt that Baltimore was a mess that night. Riots are never pretty, and there were undoubtedly instances of arson occurring. This picture and statement from the âspokesman,â however, made it seem as if the entire city was on fire.
FOX NEWS AFFILIATE APOLOGIZES
At least one user on Imgur caught took notice of the fake Baltimore photo mistake â or lie, however you want to look at it â and posted FOX13âs status along with the caption âNow I understand why people mock Fox news so muchâŠâ As the photo earned upward of 80,000 views on the site, the attention became a little too much to not notice. Thatâs when FOX13 posted the following:
Did you see that? âOur team didnât fact check the picture the way we should have.â Talk about the story of Fox Newsâ life. This isnât the first time Fox news affiliates have made mistakes or been deceptive. One Fox station actually displayed a picture of President Obama as a man who had managed to avoid rape charges.
The really awkward and ironic moment, though, is the instance in 2014 when a Fox news affiliate edited footage from a peaceful protest to sound as if marchers were chanting âKill a cop.â In reality, they were saying they wouldnât be safe until âkiller cops are in cell blocks.â
The irony of this situation? That Fox affiliate was Fox 45, out of Baltimore, and the protestor whose words they edited was a Baltimore resident speaking out against the death of her brother, who died while in police custody. So FOX13 may have been right. Baltimore is in flames, even if it is just metaphorical ones.
