Recently, we relayed un to you the story of the UK Daily Star journalist who reported on a faux Grand Theft Auto game, for the sole purpose of shocking people and selling more papers.
Now, the UK’s other premier daily sensationalist tabloid The Sun has revealed its own anti-gaming agenda; vilifying video-games by adding them as the culprit to a previously published story that hadn’t even mentioned them.
On Friday, the Sun published a story based around a report on the stark rise in incidences of rickets – a childhood bone disease. It featured quotes from Professor and orthopaedic surgeon Nicholas Clarke – and ended placing the blame on lifestyle. “The rise in the disease has been blamed on poor diet and children not being allowed outside where kids can get a dose of vitamin D from the sun,’ the paper said, making no mention of video games whatsoever.
That obviously didn’t garner nearly enough clicks, so they republished the article the next day, almost verbatim – only with the headline ‘Game addict kids hit by ‘extinct’ bone disease.’ Both pieces feature the same information and quotes, citing the same study. “CRIPPLING bone disease rickets has made a shock comeback – because kids are staying indoors with video games instead of playing in the sunshine,’ says the more recent article.
Honest mistake, or are they needlessly vilifying games to suit their own agenda?
You can see the more sensationalist story here : The Sun
Story and picture courtesy of CVG
Last Updated: November 15, 2010
LordKhaan
November 15, 2010 at 15:36
Heh, new24 does this everyday. You’ll often see a headline early in the morning(7am), where by 12ish the title has been changed to something a little more scandalous, Im guess cause they not getting enough hits.
Truthfully though, gamers better prepare for this. When we have the likes are Arnie and so on protesting about violence in video games where he has been making his livlihood for the past 20 years on the same type of violence… Well you get the idea.
Miklós Szecsei
November 15, 2010 at 16:27
Oh my god, please go and read some of the comments on this story over on The Sun’s website. Some of them make for SERIOUS LULZ! 😆
Like this one: “Surely the conservatives are to blame for all this as when I was at school we had free milk.”
“I notice the Xbox 360 and WII adverts show an amount of physical activity taking place. Are they trying to say that their products are nor responsible for rickets?”
Gavin Mannion
November 15, 2010 at 21:05
“Bad parenting? Video games? Poverty? My arse!!
The real cause of this is the fact that 95% of the time in the UK it is **** it down with rain!” <-- lulz
Gavin Mannion
November 15, 2010 at 21:33
I just realised the dad is drinking red wine while wearing a white shirt, sitting on a beige couch and near a white rug.. there is no way on earth that is going to end well…
Rez
November 15, 2010 at 22:27
If Lazygamer ever had to push up hits all the need to find is the Geoff-teabagging angle.
Nick de Bruyne
November 15, 2010 at 23:42
*spoiler alert* their dad is a closet alcoholic who’s horrible and terrifying actions will one day push the children to the point of violence, only to have it all blamed on GTA instead.