The Pentagon explosion that wasn’t shows perils of polluted information ecosystem

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REAL FAKE NEWS: It was a beautiful spring Monday in Washington when officials and reporters in the Pentagon began to be barraged with questions about a reported explosion outside the building, which according to a photo that quickly went viral, was sending a massive plume of black smoke into the air. It was quickly revealed to be a hoax.

“There’s no explosion or fire at or near the Pentagon-apparently these are false reports circulating on social media,” tweeted Voice of America correspondent Carla Babb. “People inside the building have absolutely no idea about any explosion.”

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