An article from preeminent satire website The Onion about the NFL’s policy on domestic violence has gone viral, but many people apparently haven’t figured out that the Onion doesn’t publish real news stories.
The article, titled “NFL Announces New Zero-Tolerance Policy On Videotaped Domestic Violence,” was being shared en masse on Tuesday. “Following public outcry over his mishandling of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice’s aggravated assault of his then-fiancée, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday that the league has adopted a new zero-tolerance policy toward all videotaped domestic abuse,” it reads.
The Onion, in case you didn’t know, has a disclaimer, which reads: “The Onion is a satirical weekly publication published 52 times a year on Thursdays.”
It adds: “The Onion uses invented names in all its stories, except in cases where public figures are being satirized. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental.”
On the website’s Facebook page, there was confusion.
“HAVE A HEART RAY RICE IS A JERK HE SHOULD BE FIRED FROM THE EAGLES come on NFL get rid of this dirtbag! violence is violence wether it’s videotaped or not,” one person wrote.
Another said, “Wait...they NEEDED a ‘policy’ against this?? And Rice punches somebody & gets ”suspended indefinitely“ but Michael Vick is welcomed back with open arms??”
But another said, “My God. Are there still people that don’t know that the Onion is satire? This one nails it.”
