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Inquisitor Reporter Fired In Scandal

Stories Were Fabricated by Journalist; Newspaper Apologizes to Readers

Doctored Photo Not From Iraq

Hot on the heels of the New York Times' firing of reporter Jayson Blair for fabricating dozens of stories that ran in the esteemed paper, the Inquisitor has been rocked by a similar scandal of its own.

Reporter Billy Rooney has been filing reports from the Iraqi War front - or so his bosses at the Inquisitor's news desk thought. His last story appeared in the May 8 edition on the looting of nuclear weaponry by Iraqis (see Archives). Now, it appears that Rooney concocted the war stories - borrowing some of his themes from the Star Wars films - and created fake pictures to accompany his tales by manipulating real pictures on his computer.

Rooney, who has worked as a volunteer intern at the Inquisitor for the last six months, had left the paper's news desk with the impression that he was one of the "embedded" reporters with the military in Iraq. In fact, Rooney, who is only 18 years old, has been seen attending classes at Bakersfield High School on days when he supposedly filed reports from the war front.

Billy Rooney The Inquisitor learned of the deception when Inquisitor columnist Cletus Mooch spotted Rooney working at Hot Dog on a Stick at a local mall.

Rooney's parents, Clyde and Louise Rooney, confirmed that their son has not left town in the past year except for the family's last summer vacation in nearby Fresno.

"It was our understanding that he had a paper route in addition to his job at the mall," said Louise Rooney. "We didn't know anything about any reporting. We don't read the Inquisitor."

The Inquisitor's editor-in-chief, Hurd Hobson, was embarrassed by the episode. "We're shocked. We thought he was with the 9th Star Fleet, delivering first hand reports and risking his life overseas. Instead, we were printing some a bunch of crap and passing it off as real news."

Rooney said the whole controversy stems from a misunderstanding. "I never said I was 'embedded.' What I told them was that I would write a column on the war from 'in bed,' on my laptop. Besides, I couldn't go to Iraq. I have finals and graduation."

The Inquisitor apologizes to all its readers for any misunderstandings caused by Rooney's stories. Rooney has been relieved of all duties by the paper, effective May 16.

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