By Dyer Whitt
Staff Writer

Recently, Facebook and Twitter spread nasty rumors about the death of celebrity DJ and producer, David Guetta.

A quick scare surged the net as many could not determine the validity of the information. Hours later, Guetta was confirmed alive, adding to the list of recent celebrity hoax deaths.

The source behind this is Global Associated News, who gives journalism a bad name by releasing false information and fake documents to the public.

The Global Associated News article stated, “David Guetta died in a single vehicle crash on Route 80 between Morristown and Roswell. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics responding to the vehicle accident and was identified by photo ID found on his body. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been a factor in this accident.”

The article continued, “Highway Safety Investigators have told reporters that David Guetta lost control while driving a friend’s vehicle on Interstate 80 and rolled the vehicle several times killing him instantly.”

Many death report hoaxes are created from sources similar to Global Associated News, including the falsely reported deaths of Jim Carrey, Nicki Minaj and Adam Sandler. This poses the question from the public as to why these sources release false information that hurts their overall credibility.

As an aspiring journalist, I believe this sends the wrong message to students and those who uphold the Code of Ethics in regards to a respect for accurately reporting the news. This poses a threat to how the public view journalism and the news as a legitimate source of information.