Least Accurate Article 2017

Now for Bad Press Award for Least Accurate article. Again a bumper year, making it very difficult for the judges. In the end they were forced to use the metric of density of errors per paragraph. And the THREE  NOMINEES ARE.   

 
 
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‘Just ridiculous' Nativity scene removed over fears it will offend town's FOUR Muslims’  Sunday Express 17 Dec 2016

"Town chiefs allegedly refused to include a traditional festive display in Holsbeek, Belgium over fears it could upset a member of the minuscule Muslim population.: " Traditionally locals put a Christmas tree and a model of baby Jesus in a manger in the centre of the town.  Achiel Claes, a former town alderman for the Christian-Democrats, said: "The reason was that it would be 'too provocative for Muslims'. "There are only four Muslims living in town and they will never complain that there is a nativity scene in city hall."

 Breaking news. They never did complain. As a quick Google search shows these fake stories about banning Christmas make their seasonal rounds every year and travel across the world faster than Santa and his sleigh, delivering bad cheer in the festive season of goodwill. 
 

 
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‘Town in fear as repeated sightings of WEREWOLF on the prowl… in HULL’ Sunday Express 24 May 2016

Eyewitnesses say they have been left traumatised after encountering the half-man, half-wolf beast some believe is a werewolf called Old Stinker first sighted in the city 200 years ago A paranormal team on the hunt for the mystical creature scoured graveyards, allotments and abandoned factories by torchlight. And shortly after midnight, they spotted the monster after hearing it crashing around in the undergrowth on the banks of Barmston Drain which flows through the city to Beverley. Folklore expert Charles Christian was the first to spot something in the pitch black, but clouds drifted over the moon making it impossible to use his camera. The barrister turned paranormal expert said: “I saw two eyes moving through the undergrowth. It was clear it was a large animal, not a cat.." Mike Covell, the local folklore expert leading the search, said: “Bushes had been crushed and plants uprooted like a tank had gone through. “It was definitely something big. Then we heard a cracking of the wood as we saw whatever we saw.”

 
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THE WINNER: Why only Lefties could go misty eyed at a movie that romanticises Benefits Britain’ Toby Young, Daily Mail, 28 Oct 2016

“I’m no expert on the welfare system..” This is virtually all that remains uncorrected from the original article about Ken Loach’s film Daniel Blake, five paragraphs of which have been completely removed because each contained a false fact. The only two sentences which were at all accurate were the first one, “I’m no expert on the welfare system..” and his concluding thought “Perhaps I’m missing the point of I, Daniel Blake.”