Judge Punishes Satirical Website

Hammond Action News is an Onion-esque satire news site that has been ordered by Louisiana District Judge Brenda Bedsole Ricks to remove one of its posts, pending a hearing on March 15th filed by Global Wildlife Center. The story (most likely spoofing the recent Killer Whale attack) described a Center giraffe attacking and killing a tour guide.

Global Wildlife Center is a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary that offers tours of its preserve in Tangipahoa Parish where patrons can feed and pet exotic animals, such as kangaroos, giraffes and camels.

The story is “malicious and untrue,” asserted Christina Cooper, Global’s education and development director, in a written statement.

The following day, Hammond Action News ran this story: “Ace Reporter Missing”

HAMMOND, Louisiana — Junior club ace reporter, James Olsen, 22, has been missing from his home and the downtown offices of HAN since yesterday evening.

Olsen, a valued member of HAN’s newsroom team, was last seen leaving the office after telling co-workers he was going to meet a source to discuss a hot tip concerning an unnamed animal sanctuary in an unnamed southern state.

The story was suspected to concern an unidentified 16ft-high animal with a long neck. As yet local authorities have been unable to trace the informant or figure out what kind of animal the information concerned.

Nicholas Brilleaux, HAN’s owner, runs the parody site in his spare time, and receives no revenue from his imaginative stories.  He doesn’t have a blazing banner disclaiming verity, but all you have to do to get the joke is read at least one post.

Link to story.  (via The Obscure Store and Reading Room)