The first photo they use to illustrate their article is certainly dramatic. But is it genuine? And is it Isaac?
They have credited it to 'Twitter/Seven_marine'. But that Twitter account has not been updated since March 2011.
A quick search of Google Images finds that photo used on many blogs before Isaac, including this one from August 2010 and this one from 2008.
According to Bay News 9:
the photo has been around for many years and seems to pop up every time a severe weather situation arises.
"It is a Photoshopped picture of a supercell thunderstorm that seems to pop up with a new foreground every time there is a hurricane threat anywhere," Bay News 9 Meteorologist Josh Linker said.
"I've seen versions of that photo since at least 2005," Bay News 9 Meteorologist Brian McClure added.
Yet, according to the caption on 'newspaper website of the year' MailOnline, the photo is:
Ominous: Tropical storm Isaac gathers pace as it barrels towards the Gulf coast, where it is expected to hit by Wednesday - the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
Journalist Jonathan Haynes says:
Cannot believe how many news websites see something on Twitter and publish it without basic checks on its validity. Utterly depressing.
(Hat-tip to Jonathan Haynes).
UPDATE: MailOnline updated their article and removed the fake photo at 7.11pm, less than an hour after a link to the above was posted on Twitter.
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And it's only a category two, so why they put it in capitals I don't know. One is the lowest level hurricane not the highest.
ReplyDeleteLol, I have seen this picture so many times, It has been so many hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides, mass forrest fires, blizzards...I can't even keep count. LOL
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