Interesting artical

[porky]

I found this story/artical on the Angling Times web site and thought it was worth sharing.

The Sun’s piranha story was a complete fairytale
By Steve Partner

General News

02 July 2010 16:00

The Sun. The good old currant bun. Home of page three, puns and some of the most humorous – and memorable – headlines in history. ‘Gotcha’, ‘Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster’, ‘Up Yours Delors’ and, my personal No1, ‘It’s Paddy Pantsdown’ being among the more quotable.

Yes, our favourite daily newspaper – read by 2.9 million – is the populist prince of print, the red-top super heavyweight that’s become a modern day icon. And, last week, it was also guilty of some of the worst journalism I have ever had the misfortune to read.

Now, I know, like ex-professional footballers who comment on the current crop, criticising someone in your own game is tantamount to treason, but there are some stories so ridiculous, so flawed and so potentially damaging, they are immune from the normal insurance of self-imposed silence. Like the story entitled ‘Killer Piranha in Folkestone Pond’ that appeared in The Sun’s June 17 edition.

If there has been a more misleading and misinformed article masquerading as news then I have yet to see it. Fairytales are more believable.

For those left in any doubt by the screaming headline as to what the ensuing words described, let me explain. Basically an ‘angler’ claimed to have caught a piranha while fishing Radnor Park in Kent.

On the face of it, there doesn’t appear to be much of an issue. Should a piranha, with all its over-inflated Hollywood-fuelled reputation for menace in tow, be caught thousands of miles from its Amazon home

in a lake somewhere in Folkestone, I can see the news value. If it were true, it would deserve its place as lead story on page 11 in Britain’s best-selling newspaper. The trouble is, it wasn’t. Remotely.

Let’s start with the ‘piranha’, that fearsome creature which, to quote the story, ‘can strip the flesh of a human in seconds’. This will be the same ‘piranha’ that was actually a red-bellied pacu, a fish that’s completely harmless, unless you happen to be a piece of fruit, that is.

And what of the rest of this tall tale of fiction? What about the quotes attributed to the angler, Derek Plum?

“It dragged my line about 500 yards,â€

[Rustler]

A bit ironic the AT complaining about sensational journalism and miss-leading the angling public, they have been at it for years lololol

[tunnel topper]

but the general public believe every thing the rag prints.

wasn’t it the sun who kept telling every on to vote conservative as it was the best party to lead this country.
look how many fools fell for it.

[TF_Chris-turnerParticipant]

old saying ….. dont always beleive what ya read in the papers lol.

[TF_thesaint]

AT the end of the day, does anyone believe what they read in the Sun…Its a fun paper, and most times the sun never tells it the way it is..As you say they make it into something which readers will read. When i read it i had to laugh at all the non anglers believing that climate change had something to do with the alledged papacu/piranha population…Well reported porky

[TF_Dodge]

Is that the same SUN NEWSPAPER that fooled all southern England that David Cameron was the best thing since sliced bread ? ~sick

[TF_caster robParticipant]

@tunnel topper wrote:

but the general public believe every thing the rag prints.

wasn’t it the sun who kept telling every on to vote conservative as it was the best party to lead this country.
look how many fools fell for it.

Yup.

They also told their “readers” to vote for NuLabuh from 1997 to 2005.

Fools? Three times in a row.

Stand back and marvel at the catastrophic outcome.

[TF_caster robParticipant]

@Dodge wrote:

Is that the same SUN NEWSPAPER that fooled all southern England that David Cameron was the best thing since sliced bread ? ~sick

I don’t recall the “Sliced Bread” story.

Perhaps you could elucidate?

[TF_Dodge]

elucidate ?

Not a problem ……. SUN NEWSPAPER = BULLSHIT !!!!

Sorted ! ~clap ~clap

[TF_caster robParticipant]

Au contraire.

I don’t disagree with your view on News International and Sky TV’s flag bearer.

However. So far you have singularly failed to substantiate the “sliced bread” theory that the disgusting RedTop allegedly purpetrated.

Clearly an oversight on your part.

Not remotely “sorted” at all.

I await your reply with interest.

[TF_bremesParticipant]

Kindly taken from The Sun~clap ~clap ~clap

David Cameron/Conservatives kindly accepted a £25,000 donation from Richard Warburton,no idea what prompted the donation?.

[TF_caster robParticipant]

LOL.

Nice one Jeff.

Still not quite in the Blair/Ecclestone category though.

[Author]

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