NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–A so-called religious website has been electronically distributing altered Baptist Press news stories to individuals and news agencies across the country, according to Will Hall, the Southern Baptist Convention’s vice president for convention news.
Hall said the phony Baptist Press stories have been emailed under the names “newsforuse” and “thebaptistpress.” Baptist Press stories received from those email addresses are not authentic, he warned.
“It is very upsetting that this individual would send out his statements under an email address that infers he is associated with Baptist Press,” Hall said. “If his ideas truly have merit, he does not need the shadow of this email address as a cover to share his strongly held opinions.”
One national newspaper nearly ran a phony Baptist Press story that included a berating of evangelist Billy Graham. However, a religion editor familiar with Baptist Press copy became suspicious and pulled the story.
The altered Baptist Press copy originated from a website run by an organization identified as Christian News Today.
Hall said measures are being taken to stop the “electronic sabotage” of Baptist Press.
“Our attorneys are looking into the matter and we intend on contacting the Internet Service Provider for remedy,” Hall said.
In the meantime, the veracity of any copy attributed to Baptist Press can be verified at the Baptist Press website, www.sbc.net. Subscribers can receive daily releases under the address, www.sbcbaptistpress.org.
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