The title will be legit, the image when you share it on Facebook will look super-legit, everything will look super-real, perfect. "I’ll make sure the first couple paragraphs are always super-legit. "Anybody can write a story," Horner said. That way, his stories would have credibility before readers began to doubt. ![]() His stories followed a simple formula: Use a famous name, include a real photo and make at least the first few sentences read like a standard news story. Using official-sounding domain names like CNN.co.de and, Horner’s stories swerved from over-the-top jokes to political firebombs, namely the super-viral "Donald Trump Protester Speaks Out: 'I Was Paid $3,500 To Protest Trump's Rally.'" "There’s nothing that I’m putting out now that’s not getting at least 20 to 50 thousand views," Horner said last year. But once Horner's fake news gained traction online, his infamous influence spread throughout the country. Paul Horner also was a stand-up comedian and host of a downtown Phoenix comedy event called "Mystery Show," which attracted a few dozen attendees each session. Horner's brother, JJ, said in a Facebook post that Paul Horner died peacefully and in his sleep. He died in the Laveen area of southwest Phoenix. Evidence at the scene suggested this could be an accidental overdose," the statement said. Horner’s family indicate the deceased was known to use and abuse prescription drugs. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mark Casey said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that there were no signs of foul play in Horner's death, which is under investigation. ![]() "Anybody who gets tricked by my stuff is people that I’m targeting, trying to make them change the way they think." "All the stuff I write has a moral purpose of targeting things I don’t like in society," Horner told The Arizona Republic in a September 2016 interview. Those stories often went viral on Facebook, allowing him to misinform tens or hundreds of thousands of people - including eventual voters - from his Phoenix apartment. He was 38.įor at least six years, Horner sprayed the Internet with intentionally false stories designed to inflame readers. PHOENIX - Fake-news pioneer Paul Horner, whose hoaxes drew international attention on the Internet and during the 2016 presidential election, died in Phoenix on Sept. Kaila White and Alden Woods, The Arizona Republic ![]() Infamous fake-news writer Paul Horner dies
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