Southend News Network
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
Type of site | Entertainment website |
|---|---|
| Created by | Simon Harris |
| URL | southendnewsnetwork.net |
| Launched | October 2015 |
| Current status | Inactive |
Southend News Network was a news parody website that aimed to "have a dig at the powers that be". Starting as a local spoof news site from the UK, it shot to national, and then international, fame after several cases where an SNN story caused confusion by being taken as fact,[1] including by the English Defence League, a far-right network.[2] Another claim to fame was their recognition as an "official media outlet" by local government.[3]
Following a news article on the Essex Live news website revealing the owner, Mr Simon Harris, had received almost £500,000 over the course of three years for "community engagement" during the pandemic that primarily included running a Facebook page, the Southend News Network site was no longer accessible.[4]
In January 2018, journalist Milo Yiannopoulos read out during a live YouTube broadcast an article from the site prompting questions about his source checking.[5]
