An internet user who wrongfully posted on Twitter that veteran Zimbabwean journalist Reuben Barwe had passed on, has publicly apologised for the fake pronouncement.
The Twitter user who goes by the handle @bmusonza had posted that the ZBC Diplomatic Correspondent had breathed his last, in a tweet accompanied by Barwe’s picture.
The user has since deleted the tweet and subsequently apologised to Barwe, ‘everyone concerned and those misled’ by the fake tweet.
the fake news peddler… Profile picture for @bmusonza
“Got a story filed as breaking news on “Ruben Barwe death” and I was trying to make heads and tail about it. Turned out to be fake news. Ruben Barwe is alive. Shall I please offer my sincere public apologies to Mr Ruben Barwe, everyone concerned and those misled. Thank you,” said @bmusonza in a tweet.
With many cautioning the user against getting ‘carried away’ by most ‘BREAKING’ yet poorly evidenced ‘NEWS’ especially on social media, @bmusonza was forced to further explain on the Reuben Barwe ‘death’ story
“Is it good standard practice on social media behaviour to apologise for our mistakes or any inaccuracies in messages we post on this or other platforms that turns out to be not true? So often I do that I get pilloried for it. Personally when I’m wrong I am not afraid of saying so,” the explanatory tweet reads.
Barwe is yet to give a comment on the matter.
Zwnews
