In an embarrassing turn of events, Newsweek has published an article citing a parody account as a credible source. The article quoted a satirical tweet from the well-known parody account Parik Patel, mistakenly identifying the account holder as the father of Kash Patel, a former Trump official and rumored FBI Director nominee.
The satirical tweet in question claimed that President Joe Biden’s pardon of Hunter Biden was motivated by fear of Kash Patel becoming FBI Director. Newsweek ran with the claim, headlining the fabricated statement as coming from “Dr. Parik Patel, father of FBI Director nominee Kash Patel.” The parody tweet humorously declared, “Biden made the decision to pardon Hunter because he was so worried about MY SON Kashu becoming director of the FBI that he decided to pardon his son… of all crimes.”
Joe Biden was so worried about MY SON Kashu becoming director of the FBI that he decided to pardon his son Hunter Biden of all of his crimes pic.twitter.com/N0pD7D48mn
— Dr. Parik Patel, BA, CFA, ACCA Esq. (@ParikPatelCFA) December 2, 2024
Their article text read, “A surprising voice to weigh in on the pardon is Dr Parik Patel, father of FBI director nominee Kash Patel. The elder Patel wrote on X that Biden made the decision to pardon Hunter because he was “so worried about MY SON Kashu becoming director of the FBI that he decided to pardon his son… of all crimes.”
This misstep by Newsweek is the latest in a string of credibility blunders. The outlet previously faced backlash for publishing an article labeling Tulsi Gabbard a “Hindu nationalist” for taking her oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita—an article that was widely criticized as both inaccurate and inflammatory.
😂😂😂😂 @Newsweek headlined a parody tweet by @ParikPatelCFA claiming to be Kash Patel’s father pic.twitter.com/n0D0lpjUOx
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) December 3, 2024
The parody account, Parik Patel, is a fixture on social media for its humorous takes on finance and politics, often exaggerating for comedic effect. It has no connection to Kash Patel. This should have been evident to Newsweek with even a cursory verification of the source, yet the outlet ran the claim uncritically. Social media users were quick to highlight the absurdity of the mistake.
Quoting parody accounts as credible sources is a glaring oversight, especially in an era where misinformation is rampant. For a respected news outlet, this lapse undermines its credibility and invites widespread ridicule.
Perhaps it’s time for Newsweek to reconsider its editorial processes—before it quotes another parody account as gospel truth.
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