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False report about Jelinek: Nobel Prize winner is alive and protesting!
False news about Elfriede Jelinek's death spreads quickly; Correction and media reactions follow immediately.
False report about Jelinek: Nobel Prize winner is alive and protesting!
On June 17, 2025, a false report about the alleged death of the Austrian writer Elfriede Jelinek caused a stir online. At 1:40 p.m. the misleading post was published on the X-profile “@RowohltAT” and spread quickly. The post incorrectly stated that Jelinek had died, which prompted numerous media outlets to report on it. Among them were renowned publications such as the “Berliner Zeitung”, “Bild”, “Bunte”, “Focus Online”, “GMX”, ProSieben, “t-online”, “Kurier”, “Standard” and “Blick”.
The fake account had existed since February 2025 and had not previously published any content. In another twist, half an hour after the hoax, the account published an additional post calling the report a “hoax.” However, the excitement remained as many media outlets continued to spread the original hoax. The rapid error correction from the real Rowohlt publishing house came within an hour of publishing the false message.
Author's reactions and background to the hoax
Elfriede Jelinek herself spoke to AFP and emphasized that she was alive. She also informed that she had previously been confronted with similar false reports. The current hoax appears to have been spread by a person named Tommasso (or: Tommaso) Debenedetti, who has been exposed to similar misinformation about prominent figures in the past. Media like ProSieben also had to adapt their reporting and changed the headline of their report from “Breaking News” to “Again false death report: Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek is alive”.
This case clearly shows how quickly and indiscriminately news can be spread and raises questions about the media's responsibility in breaking news journalism. In a climate where fake news is frequently generated, the rigor of reporting is crucial. Despite the correction by Rowohlt Publishing, many journalists still remembered the original hoax, which further fueled the discussion about breaking news journalism. Some media also reported on the false reports themselves, which once again illustrates the problem of generating clicks through sensational news.
For further information about the events and the background to Elfriede Jelinek, see the reports from Overmedia and Mirror recommended.