US Podcasters Under Fire for Spreading Misinformation About Oscar Pistorius

• US podcasters have been put under serious criticism after spreading misinformation about Oscar Pistorius and the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp
• South Africans were not happy with how the podcast hosts handled the situation and did not do a proper fact check before speaking about the case
• The video went viral on social media, with South Africans calling them out for not fact-checking and doing enough research about the case

The hosts of a well-known pop culture podcast in the United States of America have come under fire for spreading inaccurate information about South African athlete Oscar Pistorius and the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

The former South African Paralympian, currently serving the remainder of his sentence on parole, has long maintained that he mistook his former partner for an intruder inside his Pretoria home

A recent report claimed that the 39-year-old is now in a relationship with another woman, Rita Greyling, who closely resembles the late Steenkamp.

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US podcasters criticised over Pistorius remarks

This week, American hosts of The Big Silly Trivia Game podcast faced backlash from South Africans after a video of them trended on Instagram as they were discussing Pistorius’s 2013 killing of Steenkamp.

Podcasters Natalie Shine and Savannah DesOrmeau were accused of making several factual mistakes in the viral segment, including incorrectly stating that the incident took place in Australia rather than the original location, Pretoria, South Africa.

The viral video also featured a narration suggesting that a supposed intruder disturbed the couple while they were in bed, prompting both Pistorius and Steenkamp to investigate.

However, testimony during the widely publicised trial established that there was no break-in or intruder at Pistorius’s home in the Silver Woods Country Estate, Pretoria.

Prosecutors argued that Pistorius deliberately shot Steenkamp, who had locked herself in the bathroom out of fear of her “jealous” and “trigger-happy” partner. Multiple shots were fired through the bathroom door.

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Social media users, particularly in South Africa, strongly criticised the podcast hosts in the comment section of the viral video, accusing them of misrepresenting the case.

Sports presenter Andile Ncube wrote: “Wow! That’s a lot of misinformation in just 30 seconds. A quick Google search could have prevented this!

Radio personality Carryn-Ann Nel added: “For starters, this happened in South Africa, not Australia. Court evidence made it clear she was in the bathroom — there was no intruder.”

Here are reactions from South Africans on social media concerning the misinformation.

therealmrbaloyi said:

"Does ANYONE do their research anymore? The lady off-camera’s summary of the story isn’t entirely accurate."

U.madons3la shared:

"Guys. It doesn't hurt to fact-check before speaking; you got big parts of the story wrong and made many inaccurate statements. Do Better.👏"

Brandonhacha wrote:

"There was never actually an intruder, and his telling of the event was that he was already out of bed when he heard his gf in the bathroom and assumed it was an intruder."

melissa_g_143 implied:

"Bro, that storytelling was so messy and missing so much."

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dannimfs added:

"No, I believe she went to the bathroom, and he woke up alone knowing she was there. He claims there was a home intruder, and he shot her. Neighbours claim they heard arguing the night before."

When will his sentence end?

Pistorius is currently serving a murder sentence for Steenkamp’s killing in 2013. He was initially convicted of culpable homicide in September 2014, but this was later upgraded to murder in December 2015, resulting in a six-year prison term.

Following an unsuccessful appeal, the Supreme Court of Appeal extended his sentence to 13 years and five months in November 2017. His sentence is set to run until December 2029.

Pistorius finishes 3rd in Durban Ironman race

Briefly News also reported that Oscar Pistorius has made a low-key comeback to competitive sport, competing in the Durban Half Ironman, where he secured third place in his division.

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This was the former Paralympic champion’s second official competition since leaving prison. Pistorius spent more than ten years incarcerated for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, and now lives under strict parole supervision.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News