List Members:

Received this from Robin Saunders at CBS.  As you can see,
the segment airs on Sunday--I mentioned to her that Twain
was the master of the fake news report as early as 1860s and
pointed her to the Galaxy article on hoaxes.  If you haven't
seen the Colbert Report, it follows Twain's lead in many
ways:

Good afternoon. My name is Robin Sanders, and I work at CBS
News. I wanted to let you know about a piece that “60
Minutes” will be running this week “fake news”
reporter Stephen Colbert. We're trying to get the word out
beforehand to as many people as possible who might have a
particular interest in this subject, and especially those
who might not normally watch our show. So to that end, I was
hoping perhaps you would consider sending out an email to
your listserve and/or posting something on your website. The
story will be broadcast on CBS stations on at 7:00 ET/PT on
Sunday, April 30. Further details will be posted on our
website,
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/27/60minutes/main1553506.shtml
, which you’re link to from your own site.

Below is a short write-up about the piece. Please don't
hesitate to call me if you have any questions. My phone
number is 212-975-7598; email is [log in to unmask]

Best,

Robin Sanders

CBS News 60 Minutes

phone: 212-975-7598

email: [log in to unmask]


“COLBERT REPORT”

Talking heads who draw large audiences with a diet of often
wildly inaccurate but patriotic noise have become a stable
of cable news. Bill O’Reilly perfected the formula on FOX,
and others have successfully followed his recipe. With all
of their excesses, it was only a matter of time before
someone came along to skewer them. Enter Comedy Central’s
Stephen Colbert, who four night a week transforms himself
from “Stephen Colbert, Mild-Mannered Suburbanite,” into
Stephen Colbert, “Wild-Eyed Crusader, Hell-Bent on
Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way.”  Morley
Safer visits with this newest icon of fake news on 60
MINUTES, Sunday, April 30, 7M ET/PT on CBS.