That Facebook post about a bunch of dead sharks found in Pismo Beach? It’s #FakeNews
Contrary to what your Facebook friends might have you believe, a bunch of sharks were not found dead in Pismo Beach on Wednesday.
An article on the website React365 claimed that a dozen dead sharks washed ashore in Pismo Beach this week, complete with a picture of shark carcasses strewn across the sand. The article described how people were “nervous and confused” about what happened, and that the beach was closed until further notice.
That’s not true, according to Pismo Beach City Manager Jim Lewis.
“It’s upsetting that fake news sites exist to create havoc,” Lewis said Thursday. “Pismo Beach is in great shape; it’s a beautiful day to be here.”
According to a disclaimer, the website’s posts “are humourous news, fantasy, fictional, that should not be seriously taken or as a source of information.” The photo included with the story seems to come from a July 2016 article by WKRG out of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
That didn’t stop people from sharing the link online Thursday, with some claiming it was a sign of global warming and others expressing their confusion at how it could have happened.
As of early Thursday, the article had been shared on Facebook 3,331 times, according to link tracking website Muck Rack.
Kaytlyn Leslie: 805-781-7928, @kaytyleslie
This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 12:03 PM with the headline "That Facebook post about a bunch of dead sharks found in Pismo Beach? It’s #FakeNews."