The Daily Currant was an American satirical news blog that focused on politics, technology, and entertainment. A number of its satirical stories have been taken for true news reports by press. The Daily Currant was a competitor to The Onion. According to Quantcast, the site garnered over 1.5 million page views a month. As of November 22, 2016 the site is no longer in operation.
Content
Several Daily Currant articles have been reported by established news organizations, sometimes as fact.
"Rick Santorum on Grindr"
On July 3, 2012 the site published a satirical article claiming that Rick Santorum has been caught using gay dating appGrindr by a journalist during an interview; in the article, Santorum admitted to using the app, but stated that he thought it was for finding the nearest coffee shop. Mashable later published an article "Satirical Post About Santorum and Grindr Fools the Web".
"George Bush Accidentally Votes for Obama"
On November 6, 2012 the site published a satirical article claiming that former president George W. Bush had accidentally voted for Barack Obama because he couldn't figure out how to properly use his voting machine. The article was reported as fact by news outlets in Texas, "went viral" on the internet, and appeared on the website of La Repubblica, Italy's largest national newspaper.
Another story to receive wide publicity and belief was "Todd Akin Claims Breastmilk Cures Homosexuality", attributing beliefs to the conservative US congressman Todd Akin. The article was widely shared on social media, with many people believing it was true.
"Paul Krugman Declares Personal Bankruptcy"
On March 6, 2013 the site published a satirical article which said that the Nobel Prize–winning economistPaul Krugman had filed for bankruptcy. Breitbart mistook the story as being true; it later deleted the post without explanation.
"Sarah Palin Calls for Invasion of Czech Republic"
The site published an alleged interview with Palin where she called for action on the Boston Marathon bombing and an invasion of Prague. "And let's not stop at the Czech Republic, let's go after all the other Arab countries too." This led to the headline “Let’s burn Prague: Sarah Palin Calls for the Invasion of the Czech Republic” in Wprost, one of Poland’s top news publications, who withdrew the story after Facebook posts questioned it.
"Message from God on Mars"
Viral e-mails and Facebook posts claimed in 2013 that NASA's Curiosity rover had found gigantic stone tablets in a cave near Aeolis Mons that were marked with the Ten Commandments and the phrase "I Am Real". However, this was a hoax that originated as a satirical Daily Currant article.
"Marijuana Overdoses Kill 37 in Colorado on First Day of Legalization"
A story concocted shortly after recreational marijuana became purchasable in Colorado claimed that 37 people had died of marijuana overdose thus far, with the death toll expected to reach as high as 300 by the following week. The article contained numerous references to fictional characters including one to Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman. The article's satirical nature was not understood by some, including the Swedish Minister for Justice, Beatrice Ask and Annapolis Police Department Chief Michael A. Pristoop.
