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Trending: False 'Flesh Eating' Prophecy Goes Viral

01/03/2014

False 'Flesh Eating' Prophecy Goes Viral

BBC World Service - Trending, False 'Flesh Eating' Prophecy Goes Viral

“Flesh eating” prophecy causes false panic on social media in the Philippines

“Flesh eating” prophecy trends on Filipino social media, thousands follow an account set up Oscar Pistorius’s PR team and the game of Pokemon no one controls.

How panic spread on social media in the Philippines when a media report misleadingly uncovered a ‘flesh-eating skin disease’ and then linked it to an apocalyptic prophecy made by an Indian holy man.  

More than 20,000 people have followed a Twitter account set up by Oscar Pistorius's PR team - just days before the start of his murder trial. But what will the implications be for the course of justice itself? Could this be the first trial by social media? 

And acclaimed novelist Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, joins twitter to tell the story of Jeffrey – a fly. He tells us why he can’t kill this character off. 

And what’s the appeal of #TwitchPlaysPokemon – the game that everyone plays and no-one controls? 

Presented by Mukul Devichand. Join the conversation on Twitter @BBCTrending

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