The story of little Sophia’s birthday party has turned out to be as fictitious as a fairy tale. Long Island DJs Steve and Leeana of K-93.8, that station that first broke the story earlier this week, have posted a letter on the station’s website, claiming the whole thing was a hoax.
The note, posted on Friday evening, reads:
Dear K-98.3 Listeners,
On Wednesday, we told you the story of Sophia's birthday party, and one parent's objection to the same-sex household of Sophia's parents. We also posted the invitation on our Facebook page, and invited comments from our followers.
This story was, in fact, totally fictitious, and created by the two of us. This was done without the knowledge of K-98.3 management or ownership.
We were attempting to spur a healthy discourse on a highly passionate topic, but we made a mistake by misleading our listeners into thinking that this specific situation actually existed.
We are very sorry that we perpetuated this falsehood, even after it was clear that it had taken on a 'life of its own.' We deeply apologize for violating your trust, and we will work hard to regain that trust.
Sincerely,
Steve & Leeana
Instinct’s original post of the story generated plenty of reaction and heated comments from readers, and ended up being one of our most-read posts of the week on our blog. So if the DJs were looking to create a conversation, mission accomplished. But what do you make of the fact that the entire story was made up in the first place?
I was an openly gay employee
I was an openly gay employee for this station! They "fired" me after the whole LGBT scandal broke out. They never to this day gave me a reason why! They are very anti LGBT. The morning show was suspended for 4 days not a week AND one of the morning show people has the title of "News Director" meaning their own news director who is suppose to report real news made up this story for ratings , you cant trust them! They keep deleting my post because they are trying to hide my side of the story. This station is very backwards!
It’s just propaganda…one of
It's just propaganda…one of the oldest tools of social influence. When you want to get people talking about something, stir up the hornet's nest, you have to illustrate your point in a format that is both believable and effective…they achieved their goal.
I think more good than harm came from this, it's not like they accused a real person of the hateful words… though similar situations DO happen. They just put the hypothetical situation out there and invited people to discuss it.
Hate spewing conservatives
Hate spewing conservatives have been spewing fire and brimstone at the gay community for centuries. If they can lie and blame floods fires and AIDS on the gay community, then surely they can handle something intended to paint them as the kind of monsters they have been painting us as for thousands of years.
I'm not sure people take morning radio all that seriously, but it does give some ammunition when discrediting legitimate stories or claiming there is a gay bias in the media. However, as far as Instinct is concerned, as a magazine and a piece of journalism, it should check the credibility of stories prior to publishing them either in print form or online.
It’s frustrating for me to
It’s frustrating for me to read shit like this. We have enough hate in the world without people making it up. There should be consequences for the actions of the two people who made this up.
I think that if you want an
I think that if you want an interesting story 2 people running a show for a radio station should be capable of it based on things in the media or personal experience. If you have to fabricate one and it becomes your most ready story, maybe you’re in the wrong business?
I posted a comment on the
I posted a comment on the website of the radio station on Long Island where those two juvenile jerks work castigating their irresponsible and thoughtless behavior. If they wanted to create an intelligent thread for people to respond, first, they should have cleared it first with management. It would have been more appropriate for them to ask their listeners to comment on personal experience with homophobia as it relates to same sex couples with children. My husband and I have friends living on Long Island who have encountered this with their son. While I would not be so vindictive as to have them summarily fired, I think a week's suspension without pay would make an impresion on these mindless souls!
There is only so much a blog
There is only so much a blog can do like making sure people know the whole thing is 'alleged' as Instinct did when an entire story is fabricated from the source on up. As long as they tell us about the update, I am fine with them. There is to much gay on gay attacking in this world, don't add to the problem unecessarily
I will put this in the same
I will put this in the same category as that hooks propagated but another radio announcer when Kate had her baby in the hospital and the nurse attending killed herself due to shame
Honestly, I don’t have an
Honestly, I don’t have an issue with this. I mean I feel a little betrayed, especially since I felt the urge to send that l little girl a birthday present, but it got people talking in a different way. I respect what they were trying to do. I wonder now where that phone number leads to.
I feel betrayed.
I feel betrayed.
How many stories does
How many stories does Instinct want to publish that are hoaxes? Stories shouldn’t be published until all the facts are done.
So was Instinct supposed to
So was Instinct supposed to track down all same sex parents in NY with a daughter named Sophia and verify the story? Stupid.
WHAT were they thinking (if
WHAT were they thinking (if indeed they WERE thinking!)? That was a stupid, vicious and totally unacceptable behavior. They should be fired ASAP.
Not necessarily. While yes
Not necessarily. While yes this particular situation was fictitious this does happen in real life and I am glad that someone had the courage to bring it to light. fired no but some forms of consequence yes.
I think this type of behavior
I think this type of behavior is completely unacceptable. There is enough of this type of hate going on without these two idiots creating a very public farce about it. I frankly think they should be terminated and sanctioned. Just horrible…..
Ok. So instinct didn’t check
Ok. So instinct didn’t check the facts… so what???????? Wouldn’t you explode to the situation and involved the community? Granted that… after posting the story.. they should’ve digged more and find facts and probably even talked to Sophia parents. .. BUT.. Whats really disgusting here… is what those djs did. The truth to the matter is… they used their public figure and jobs as well as the radio station to create a false story. And none the less create all this controversy in between the gay community and people alike. Are they so in need to get ratings????? Why wouldn’t they use a black/white scenario of a story???? Too racey???? Or too delicate of a theme? The true monsters are those people who made tgis story up. People don’t blame this online magazine for not finding the facts. Simply call that radio station and ask to talk to rhe real prejudice and homophobe who aired this story and give them a piece of your mind. I did.
I think instict should
I think instict should consider factchecks, i noticed they dont happen before sending story out
FIRE THEM!!! We have enough
FIRE THEM!!! We have enough HATE in the world!!! We don't need made-up stories!!! Grrrrrrrr!!!
We have more than enough of
We have more than enough of this kind of rubbish without making it up. Way to spread the hate!
Wth? I do not understand
Wth? I do not understand people. Did they not think that people would feel betrayed by the falsehood?
Disgraceful. Assholes like
Disgraceful. Assholes like these two have no place in an educated, intelligent exchange of ideas. Stunts like this are what hold our community back and take credibility away from actual stories of hate/homophobia. Remember that waitress who faked not getting a tip because cstoner supposedly disapproved her lifestyle?
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