to wonder how many threads are started by journalists?

[runnerselbow]

After the recent 'wedding gift' thread (which seemed genuine, not referring to that specifically) going viral and ending up in the news, and some other obvious examples (penis beaker) it's made me wonder - how many threads are started by journalists with the hope of getting an easy story..? Can't help but think that it must happen... Anyone spotted any obvious ones?

No idea

Lots I'd imagine

...and zombie threads from years ago bumped by first time posters, like the controversial one in trending

Seems unlikely IMO. No guarantee of getting people going, as it were.

Bloody loads.

If the OP doesn't come back to reply, then it's a JOURNO imo.

That would mean them doing some actual work. It seems they actually prefer to just stalk the boards and cut and paste it into an article. Hardly journalism. Does put me off posting a thread apart from trivial shit (problem is hardly anyone is a answering them!)

87.4%

Haha! I'm definitely not a journo lol. Although do do some writing, which probably was part of what made me imagine hacks sitting there plotting viral MN threads. Felt a bit sorry for the recent wedding invitation poster as I'm sure they didn't expect it to be in the actual news.

Generally I think they tend to lurk looking for juicy stories. Occasionally you get the "this happened to me, has it happened to you" type threads which are very suspicious though.

I live in Canada and heard about the wedding thread this morning on the radio. It's terrifying, frankly. I've been quoted on the BBC out of context.

@MrsTerry exactly! When I saw the story part of me was wondering about the ethics of it all... I'd be completely freaked out if I posted something on MN and it ended up in the Telegraph!!

Which wedding thread was in the news?

Lots, probably. As I said on the wedding thread, I think there are probably more at the moment because so many writers and researchers for shitty outlets like the Mail and C5 have had their arses handed to them in Media Requests for asking sexist, patronising, semi-literate questions and then having toddler tantrums when called out for it (like the one that wanted to know if anyone had been given a 'push present' - sorry, a LAVISH push present - for having 'his baby', which MN pulled after the OP started whinging about everyone being horrid bullies). Much easier to write a fake story and then report it, or harvest non-news from threads they didn't even have to start. Twats.

I doubt many are tbh, but they defo lurk!
I was contacted by researchers to appear on radio after I started a thread on here, was also quoted in the daily mail ( different name ) I'm not surprised though, MN is a great place to get material.

@anti - someone posted in AIBU about an ex colleague who responded to a £100 cash wedding gift (incredibly generous imo) with, basically, a request that they increase the amount. Saw it on my facebook feed from the Telegraph.

I'm surprised the wedding thread has been run as news and therefore taken as fact. The journalists have no proof that any of it is true - everything written on here could be completely made up. It's so lazy.

I've seen twitter convos make the 'broadsheets' LOL

It's all just about clickbait nowadays innit

6%

All it does is devalue journalism even further and make readers have even less faith in reporting. At a time when papers are struggling they should be striving for excellence not trawling forums and social media for "news".

The wedding one though now it has gone viral must have outed the Op in RL? She quoted the email word for word!

My thoughts exactly @juxta!

I suspect some of the stats on this thread may have been made up. Wonder if they'll make it to tomorrow's broadsheets?

"Mumsnetters estimate anywhere between 6% and 87.4% of threads to be fabricated by journalists."

I can't remember the last time I started a thread OP. But if I'm planning to in future, I'll run it by you first.