“Fabricating obituaries”: Media falsely report on the death of Noam Chomsky

The new statesman published an obituary for Chomsky on Tuesday – and then deleted it again – after rumors about the 95-year-old’s death had emerged. Other media, including Jacobin Chomsky’s obituaries have been retained or modified, with telltale signs such as the word “obituary” in the URLs betraying their inaccuracy.

Commentators from across the political spectrum also reacted to the false reports about Chomsky’s death – from grief among the progressive left to glee among liberals and right-wingers.

“It is shameful and sad that Valéria Chomsky had to deny the news of Noam Chomsky’s death here in Brazil by phone because many places decided to publish ready-made obituaries and posts when the first rumors appeared online,” Brazilian scientist Sabrina Fernandes said on social media.

“Since none of the media outlets that reported the death chose to publish a correction, it only got worse,” she added, condemning “the online investment and attention industry… that waits… like vultures.”

In response to numerous reports about Chomsky’s death in the Latin American media, Mexico City-based Rutgers School of Communications professor Andrew Kennis – whose book Resistance in the digital age contains a foreword co-written by Chomsky, Shared dreams that “it is both a fitting and cruel irony that the fundamentally flawed, trillion-dollar, conglomerate-owned mainstream news media system has once again made a mistake.”

“No, Noam is not dead. Instead, he is battling for his recovery thanks to the tireless efforts of his partner, who, when Noam’s health allowed, took him to Brazil to receive first-class medical care,” Kennis added.

Some observers worked out the title of one of Chomsky’s more than 100 books –Manufacturing authorizationwhich he wrote together with Edward Herman – in their commentary on the fake news.

“Chomsky is NOT dead. If Chomsky were dead, he would be turning in his grave to see how quickly rumors spread and how social media works,” said Croatian philosopher and Chomsky collaborator Srećko Horvat. “He might as well call it ‘fabricating obituaries.'”