What happens when you combine a bad joke, social media, and rapid reaction? Washington DC’s WUSA has the story.

 

“A humor website tried to make a funny joke today, but nobody laughed about it. Here’s what happened - at 10:34 this morning this went out on Twitter: ‘BREAKING: Witnesses reporting screams and gunfire heard inside the Capitol building.’”

That humor website was The Onion - a well-known satire site. Later tweets revealed the Onion had written a satirical piece on Congressmen holding children hostage. A writer for Mashable says it’s the timing of the tweet that was inappropriate.

“Jokes about gunshots in federal buildings are categorically not funny. Especially the day after a man is arrestedfor allegedly plotting to blow up the Capitol and the Pentagon.”

The already wary Capitol Police didn’t appreciate the joke either. They went to investigate the supposed threat. A blogger for The Dallas Morning News gets the police’s reaction.

“It's a little stuffy and bureaucratic for my tastes, but in a world where rumors and panic spread quickly, I understand why they're concerned that someone would interpret satire as truth.”

So did the Onion go too far with its satire? The “...Ology” blog thinks it’s time to relax.

“Laugh a little, decompress and save self-righteous indignation for those sources of information that deserve it.”

As for The Onion --Washington DC’s WJLA has its reaction to the incident, from an Onion press release:

“We at the Onion feel it would irresponsible to comment on such irresponsible reporting, nor will we succumb to unfounded sensationalism until all the facts have been thoroughly obscured.”

Transcript by Newsy