When news gets away

In Scotland, "Elspeth" (the Scottish form of Elizabeth) is a very popular name.

In Trinidad, it is quite rare. I know of only three other "Elspeths" in TT. Most people I know, not knowing of those other three, tend to think of me as the only Elspeth on the island.

It is understandable, therefore, that when Elspeth Brierly (RIP), former owner of A Different View Bookstore, passed away in July 2014, there were people who thought that I was the "Elspeth" who died.

One Facebook acquaintance (now deceased – RIP) sent me a private message shortly after news broke of Elspeth Brierly’s passing.

FB acquaintance: "I am so happy that you are alive."

Me: "Me too."

FB acquaintance: "Saw a blog post that seemed to suggest that an Elspeth was dead and I thought it was you."

Ironically, she contacted me just after I had written a Facebook status update to clarify that I was not the deceased. It was upon seeing this that she had realised I was still alive.

“Elspeth is dead!” someone who knows the other Elspeth might have posted on social media, innocently thinking that everyone would know to whom they were referring (hence no need to include a surname).

All it would take is one person who knows me to see that and, before verifying (since they might think I am the only Elspeth in TT), they might rush to write a social-media update on it or hurriedly contact people we know in common to find out if they had heard “the news.”

It is, or can be, a surreal experience to realise how people feel about you when they think you are dead...while you are, in fact, still alive and well.

When I received a WhatsApp text on Carnival Tuesday afternoon saying Peter Minshall had died, I was surprised – perhaps more so because of what seemed like the uncanny timing of the death. In my view, he is TT’s most creative, conceptive, genius masman of all time. We all die at some point...and if Carnival Tuesday was Minshall’s appointed time, then what a symbolically significant moment that would have been in the eyes of many people.

It did not cross my mind that someone would have been so idle as to put out fake news on such a serious topic. I WhatsApped two friends to ask if they had heard that news. One responded by saying yes, but it is fake news.

When I went to Facebook to see if there were any posts about it, I instantly saw several announcements "confirming" that Peter Minshall had passed away, followed by many "RIP" comments, personal recollections, lamentations and words of praise for his work.

Knowing how quickly "fake news" can spread, one would think it advisable to wait and receive reports from reliable media houses.

Ironically, however, it was in fact a reliable media source that had announced the death in the first place. Even Google was in on the action.

Many people are wondering “Who would start such a rumour?”

Carnival is bacchanal, as they say.

However, was the starting point of the "rumour" a specific person deliberately wanting to cause confusion...or did the situation arise from an innocent comment overheard by a bystander in the midst of Carnival revelry?

Someone in the crowd, watching mainly uninspiring, cookie-cutter bands moving across the stage, might have innocently cried out in agony: “Minshall is dead!!!”...meaning that the creative spirit which once brought a significant, symbolic message to the stage, in the form of inspiring, artistic mastery and innovative movement, is no more. Much of what is left in its wake is what many are touting as the future of TT Carnival – gyrating beads, sequins, feathers and bikinis (or "dental floss," as someone put it).

The bystander, hearing the cry, may have quickly WhatsApped the info to a friend and, like one match to a field of dry grass, the news spread like global wildfire.

Upon hearing compelling "news" – whether of personal or global significance – many respond with an immediacy made possible by today’s technology, fuelled by a desire to be quick on the draw with the spread of the "hottest" information.

Pause, take a few breaths, do some research, make some calls if applicable, to verify information before sharing it with others.