Fake Narnia Release Fools Major Media Outlets

Posted on January 5, 2006

Numerous news outlets were duped into running a joke story about how the fantasy land of Narnia had stalked out of last week's World Trade Organization talks.

A story issued by financial news agency AFX on Sunday, picked up by several other outlets, has left a series of red faces by faithfully reporting a press release from "the independent state of Narnia". The story claimed Narnia had walked out of the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong because it was fed up with being bullied by the US and Europe. It claimed the major powers were attempting to enforce liberalisation of its clothing sector.
It quoted Narnia spokeswoman Susan Aslan (Aslan is the name of the Christ-like lion featured in the film, and book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe). Narnia's delegates "were tired of bullying by EU and US delegations and would be returning immediately to their state capital at Cair Parvel," Ms Aslan was reported as saying. "If this brings the Hong Kong talks to the knees we will be delighted," it went on. The story was picked up by top business websites, including Forbes.com. The agencies involved have since removed the reports.

Even Forbes reported that Narnia stalked out of the WTO meetings in protest? Now that's disturbing. They should have known the press release was a fake because it quoted "Susan Aslan." Everyone knows that the chief trade representative for Narnia is Queen Susan, otherwise known as Susan Pevensie.