A Twitter account called @navynotnuclear has appeared to spread misinformation relating to a non-existent fire onboard a nuclear submarine in Scotland, something then picked up by @MatthewDresch for the @DailyMirror before spreading to a Russian propaganda website.
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It’s also somewhat noteworthy to see that both @navynotnuclear and @MatthewDresch and have now ‘protected’ their tweets, making sure strangers to the accounts can’t see them, a very strange move in my opinion.
The misinformation came from the below tweet from @navynotnuclear.
The account describes itself as follows:
It should also be noted that the original Mirror tweet and headline were as follows, despite the Mirror now editing the article to reflect the fact this is a non-story and completely routine.
https://twitter.com/MirrorBreaking_/status/1315625325389324291
The Mirror have now deleted the tweet, but here it is anyway.
What the image actually shows is the diesel exhaust during what is called a ‘cold move’, something completely harmless and routine. In this situation, the diesel generators provide electrical power to the onboard systems as the submarine is moved.
You may have seen some reports of a submarine on fire on the Clyde. These are inaccurate. The smoke you can see is from the submarine’s diesel engines and is entirely normal
— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) October 12, 2020
It happens multiple times every month of every year.
The article also now states that “It led to intense speculation on Twitter”, glossing over the fact that The Mirror itself had fuelled the misinformation that a fire had broken out before altering the article a short while later.
Tabloids reporting diesel exhaust from submarine making routine cold move as "believed to have caught fire"https://t.co/MP0cEqNEuy pic.twitter.com/FvOn9xH20t
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) October 12, 2020
The Daily Express also deserve a mention here, their URL hints at what the previous headline was before they realised their error, it reads “scotland-submarine-fire-helensburgh-nuclear-latest-smoke-picture-news”.
https://twitter.com/CornwallPlay/status/1315656197173903360
Their article hilariously states “Despite the concern from some, the smoke was later confirmed as diesel exhaust”… remember that URL, the address their own article can be found at, highlighting the “Scotland submarine fire”…
Worse than that. The @DailyMirror has actually managed to feed the propaganda machine of a hostile state with this dangerous clickbait nonsense.
I daresay @MatthewDresch would be better suited to obituaries and the occasional village fete…. pic.twitter.com/ddwU0DDkJ1
— Jensy ⚔️ (@Zaphod2042) October 12, 2020
Russia Today have been frequently described as a propaganda outlet for the Russian government and media regulator, Ofcom, has repeatedly found RT to have breached rules on impartiality, and of broadcasting “materially misleading” content.
The Mirror and The Express have directly played into their hands with a poorly researched, sensationalist article repeating misinformation from Twitter.
Certain elements have an agenda. Enough said.
Quite. The decline of standards – never good at the bottom end of the market in truth – are now very widespread. Spelling? What’s that?
Incompetent journalism. Again. The MSM are infants.
Don’t worry the proper media wouldn’t fall for a stunt like this, no they would stick to reporting real news such as this: Revealed: the squalor inside ex-MoD camps being used to house refugeesThe squalid conditions inside former military barracks hastily converted into refugee camps are revealed for the first time today amid mounting opposition to the Home Office move. Images of the “unsanitary and unsuitable” living quarters inside the disused army training camps show crowded dormitories where it appears challenging to socially distance. The British Red Cross said that the Ministry of Defence sites, surrounded by barbed wire and high fences,… Read more »
Don’t worry the proper media wouldn’t fall for a stunt like this, no they would stick to reporting real news such as this: Revealed: the squalor inside ex-MoD camps being used to house refugeesThe squalid conditions inside former military barracks hastily converted into refugee camps are revealed for the first time today amid mounting opposition to the Home office move. Images of the “unsanitary and unsuitable” living quarters inside the disused army training camps show crowded dormitories where it appears challenging to socially distance. The British Red Cross said that the Ministry of Defence sites, surrounded by barbed wire and high fences,… Read more »
wow bunk beds one presumes like the ones I used to sleep on on holidays to Butlins when young. Can I make a claim for appealing neglect I wonder.
Makes you wonder how they coped with cramming themselves into leaky boats in France! If they really are fleeing life threatening persecution, then they are clearly safe in the camps. But of course they are not real refugees in the sense of the original definition. Under current UN widening of its own terms, if a civil war broke out in a half Shia half Sunni country, the entire population would be entitled to leave and claim asylum in a country of their choice. This is unsustainable insanity.Time to stop the compassion industry fleecing the UK taxpayer.
So not surprisingly The Guardian is more upset about refugees than about British soldiers…
Same media who fuel the Covid 19 conflagration.
I hope you don’t mean to imply it’s been over inflated, it is in fact the opposite is true as both the media and government have tried not to really explore some of the more than possible longer term outcomes and played out the lowest level immediate concerns so as not to distract. If you did imply the risk has been over blown..I ask you to Please not post things like that, it puts people’s lives at risk and it disrespects the: 1)1 million+ who have died so far in this pandemic and the millions more who will die. 2)… Read more »
Jonathan. Thank you for your reply. I salute you and your colleagues. My comment was of course an attack on the relentless media, no more.
I still cannot believe such gloomy predictions but maybe thats a mental self defence mechanism on my part. Lets hope you are wrong.
Sorry BigH probably I probably went a bit OTT there, had a bit of a crap day. truth is we don’t know what will happen, but the best case is pretty much as I stated. The Great unknown will be how well a vaccine works out. Unfortunately everything I’m seeing leads me to believe that a mental and social shift will be needed. I very much hope it’s not, but we all know preparing beats hoping every day of the week. i do agree with you on the media, in don’t think 24/7 coverage does anyone good service, we get… Read more »
Jonathan, thank you for taking the time to write this. A chilling read.
I’m male, overweight and over 50. I can’t change my sex or age. I can lose weight – something I’ve been doing since June. I’m reasonably fit (I regularly do 15 mile Northumberland hill walks).
We all need to get fitter to give ourselves the best chance against the desease.
Lot of agendas on the internet who seem to think taht spreading lies and disinformation is justified.
An uncontained fire onboard a nuclear submarine could be of the upmost seriousness.
Thank you to UKDJ for highlighting the nonsense of the story and the rumours.
Even then, its something that is practiced… A LOT ! The RN has a bit of a thing about fires especially at sea, its right up there with keeping the water out of the bit that the people are in. As flagged up, a ‘cold move’ happens fairly often, unlike the US, the UK drop the reactors from ‘A’ to ‘B’ when alongside so to move round from Fassers to Coulport its easier to lash a couple tugs on and run the diesels. I’m genuinely shocked that this has become a ‘story’, hey ho, the world we live in I… Read more »
nothing new for the media then
Why let facts get in the way of your properganda & agenda?
Anyone that uses Twitter, Fakebook, ect for their news needs their head examined. Both are about as trustworthy as CNN or MSNBC.
I’d trust them far more than I’d trust the lie factories that are The Sun & Fox ‘News’
By which I mean CNNC & MSNBC, of course.
One wonders just how far and how deep Russian mischief has spread in influencing the Scottish Independence issue. There is a widely reported Poll commisioned by a pro Independence group that claims that 67% of Scots now THINK that Scotland would vote for independence if a Referendum were held now!! This appeared inter alia in the respected Scotsman newspaper. I would hope that if another Referendum is held that the Scottish people will carefully examine the hard facts from both sides of the argument presented as objectively as possible. The Russians, probably still smarting from the break up of their… Read more »
Best of three, five or seven?
A referendum on say Same Sex Marriage, will not alter many lives but on this massive decision which will affect the lives of the whole nation, each individual, business, travel-in fact almost every aspect of life in Britain and indeed the EU, deserved a confirmatory vote. The government in the UK is changed every few years along the lines of your ” three, five, or seven” so, as done in Ireland on the same issue, why do you think a result on a tiny majority should be cast in concrete over such a life changing decision? If the Leave side… Read more »
If we are talking Brexit then a majority voted to leave. End of.
The decision was taken. The UK leaves the EU.
A confirmation vote is not needed. You start down that route and then you need another vote to confirm that vote and then it goes on and on …infinitum.
In the words of The Jam, ” You’ve made your bed you better lie in it”
‘Lie’ is a very appropriate word when it comes to ‘leave’. After all, who would vote for something that Trump & Putin want to happen ?
Gosh. I voted for Leave because I want my vote to matter, because I want the votes of my children to matter and I value the sovereign will of my fellow Brits. I want parliament to matter and for the people to finally take matters in to their own hands rather than subcontracting it to Brussels. I did not want my voice to be subsumed in the EU any longer and our politics conducted according to some euro-norm-average. I really could go on and on – but what is the point? If you are typical of every other Remainer, it… Read more »
So wherre are all these great trade deals that were promised ? All the fault of the evil EU, no doubt. Explanations ? The will of the very rich men who own the right wing press in this country yet mainly live abroad – or a plastic Yank because without that he wouldn’t be allowed to have the influence in the USA he has here. The influence Brussels had on the UK was far less than you seem to believe. A report that demonstrated this was surpressed. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/28/lords-accuse-tories-burying-eu-powers-review Cameron offered a referendum to his hard right purely for party political… Read more »
Hi Gunbuster. Hope you are well. We all have different opinions on this forum but can remain on good terms. Just two brief points-One -from my side my biggest concern is the damage it has caused to the integrity of the Union. We gave Sturgeon big ammo with which to damage us and secondly in NI where much of my family live, before Brexit there was a big majority for the Union-well beyond the Religious divide. Now it is possible, even probable that a Referendum in both would produce ‘Leave’ votes, effectively destroying my country. Secondly I still have no… Read more »
Geoff no good will come of raking up either of these subjects. Having decided something we must go through with it and we must respect the decision of others – that is why democracies will always triumph over dictatorships.
With everything that is going on in the world right now it is time to cement existing friendships and alliances. Deep down everyone knows that. The Russians will continue to cause trouble but ultimately they would be better served by becoming part of a world of truly democratic and open nations.
Mark-thank you for some good advice. I take on too much and my sanity suffers accordingly!!
I think of Omar Khayam the advice of which i should heed!
“The moving finger writes and having writ thus moves on, nor all thy piety nor Wit shall move it back nor cancel half a line of it!”
From memory
Wow it is a while since i have heard Omar Khayam quoted. Wonderful.
Geoff, all I can say is life will go on, Covid, Brexit, alien zombie Illuminati…. whatever. Things might not be as good as they could be or were but big picture, us human cockroaches have a habit of doing our thing and surviving. Our totally self absorbed life might be a bit tougher but it will still be better than it was 50 years ago or even 20.
Agreed GB, you can argue that both sides ran flawed campaigns but that’s on them, no ‘backsies’. I didn’t want to leave the EU but we had a vote and that’s that. I found the whole putting ‘people’ in front of a second referendum incredibly patronising, you can call it what you want, its a second bloody referendum on a decision that has been made. Where do you draw the line on it, it just panders to the self indulgent world we live in. I’ll stop ranting now.
The thing is, it only needs to get the vote once and by a miniscule percentage. It all gives me the fear as a resident of sunny Alba.