Journalists in turmoil

Chester-based sports journalists are said to be fearing for their careers with modern technology allowing any Tom, Dick or Barry to report obviously cast iron facts on social media and discussion forums.

With increasingly ridiculous and unsubstantiated rumours being posted on Deva Chat one moment, then being written into the history books the next, local reporters are said to be fretting for their jobs.

"It used to be an art form, journalism," sighed Evening Leader Blues investigator Tennis Ball. "Nowadays, so long as it's on the Internet and suffixed by the word 'FACT' spelled in all caps, it's definitely true. How are we supposed to keep up with that?"

Chronicle stylus-stylist The Tall Peacock is thought to have already rung round exotic animal rescue centres in search of a home for his young family should the worst case scenario present itself, whilst colleague Sharks Prowling has spoken of his disillusionment over his career choice.

"It was all bright lights when I started, but the field has become muddied," groaned Prowling. "We still need sources and evidence to print something on paper, but all you need to do on Deva Chat is say 'it is true' and people lap it up. Perhaps our mistake is trying to report stuff that actually happened rather than stuff that might have, or that probably didn't but sounds good."

Many of the journalists affected are now having to find supplementary income. The Peacock has requested a trial at Chester FC, declaring himself a "pacy right back who knows more about Neil Young than he'd be comfortable with", whilst Prowling is considering a return to his former career as a male model.

"I could have been the face of Abercrombie and Fitch, you know," reminisced Prowling. "Turned it down for the journo gig. It's an open-ended offer of course. They still call me twice a week to beg me to change my mind, but I love drawing parallels between CFC and Formula 1 too much to give that up without a fight."

Other journalists have declined to comment.

"Yeah, I'm not going to be starting that witch-hunt," murmured The Jestrian when asked about people who post wildly unfounded and unlikely stories on the Internet as though they were fact, then don't even have the common courtesy to put their name to it.