In another example of the idiocy of modern reporting, this week’s inspirational news that footballer Cristiano Ronaldo had donated €7 million to help children involved in the Nepal earthquake disaster was a whole load of bunkum.
Broken by French magazine “So Foot”, it was repeated widely throughout social media with many congratulating CR7 for being a “damn solid human being”.
Even national papers carried the news, and in the UK, the Daily Mail took it on.
But in the end, So Foot had shot themselves in the foot – or perhaps been caught with their foot in their mouths – as the charity that was meant to have received Ronaldo’s largesse revealed that it hadn’t received any money at all.
“The latest information on the donation of Cristiano Ronaldo to the emergency response of Save the Children in Nepal is false,” declared a statement released on Save the Children’s Spanish website.
The charity nonetheless thanked the footballer for “helping raise awareness” about the unfolding disaster.
“After the second quake, which has brought further devastation to the country, the NGO wants to thank Cristiano Ronaldo and other influential people for their support in publicising the situation facing children and families in Nepal, ” the statement concluded.
According to latest news coming out of the stricken country, nearly 8,500 people have died since the first earthquake struck on April 25.
