GMontag's Journal: Fairbanksing:gratuitous fabrication Truth would be just fine

Fairbanksing: a gratuitous fabrication in a story when the truth would have served just fine.

As distinguished from a Fisking, a Fairbanksing is the act of writing an item deserving of a Fisking, critique or litigation.

This style was made famous by Eve Fairbanks, Yale 2005, Reporter/Researcher for The New Republic and opinion writer for The Examiner .

Examples: "Shooter told me he drives a hybrid car."; "Gossip hounds knocked on Sasha's door in Queens and spammed her with e-mails."; Thanks to the Web site, Sasha's brother, who is in the military, got in trouble with his superior officers."
Example one is refuted here:Hybrid My Ass . . . and the next two are here:Eve Fairbanks: Try Telling the True Story.

An example of a Photo Fairbanksing, from Reuters, is discussed in RailGunner's Journal.