It was a great story: US Congress wants new building, threatens to leave Washington.
So one of Beijing's biggest tabloids published as news the fictional account from the Web site of the American satire newspaper The Onion -- and got an embarrassing lesson in journalism.
A report on Monday by the Beijing Evening News quoted Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert calling the domed, 209-year-old US Capitol "inappropriate for a world-class legislature." Others said Congress might move to Tennessee or North Carolina if it didn't get a new building.
"Don't get us wrong: We love the drafty old building," The Onion jestingly quoted Hastert saying. "But the hard reality is, it's no longer suitable for a world-class legislative branch. The sight lines are bad, there aren't enough concession stands or bathrooms, and the parking is miserable."
The Evening News acknowledged its mistake when contacted by foreign reporters, though it hasn't told its readers.
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