University student’s fake news research hooks l-Orizzont

As part of a university research project into the phenomenon of fake news, student Andrew Mercieca uploaded a bogus online article claiming that Brexit has convinced UK retail giant Tesco to relocate its headquarters to Malta.

Little did he know that the article would end up fooling l-Orizzont, the daily newspaper owned by the General Workers’ Union.

The online article was crystal clear in its intentions and indeed included a caption stating: “The information in this article is completely fake. This is part of a university project, and does not reflect the truth. All quotations are fabricated and are not to be taken as true”.

That disclaimer notwithstanding, l-Orizzont on Saturday ran a story on how British companies are considering relocating to Malta in the wake of its impending departure from the EU.

“A few days ago, the international retail brand Tesco confirmed that it will be relocating to Malta,” the article read. “This was announced by its CEO Dave Lewis during a press conference.”