Popular YouTube music vlogger Anthony Fantano, best known as the host of The Needle Drop, where he delivers video reviews of new music releases, has issued a statement after he was misidentified by SBS as the gunman responsible for the recent mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon.
As Consequence of Sound reports, during a wrap of events surrounding the shooting at Umpqua Community College, SBS News incorrectly used a screenshot of Fantano, placing it alongside a series of statements allegedly made by the shooter.
The confusion can apparently be traced back to online virality hub 4chan, where the shooter was a member and whose members recognised Fantano’s resemblance to the shooter and intentionally began spreading his photo to confuse members of the media.
In a video statement, a visibly emotional Fantano addressed the situation, claiming that he and his YouTube network are currently in the midst of pursuing a cease and desist against SBS if they continue to use his image in connection to the Oregon incident.
“The person who has been named as the shooter, I guess has a short haircut, glasses, round head, and is on the internet,” Fantano explains in the video. “That’s enough to draw a visual comparison between two people.”
“So of course, the internet having the dark sense of humour that it does, says that I look like this guy, which is, in my opinion, not really something to be joking too much about. The wound here is still very fresh, it’s raw.”
“It’s an incredibly dark situation with people’s lives being affected so greatly that they’re going to be living with this scar forever,” Fantano continues. “Now, it’s one thing for the internet to joke about things in an appropriate manner…”
“I guess in the midst of this proliferation of comparisons and memes and images and Photoshops involving me and this dude, my photo was picked up and placed into a news wrap from the SBS.” Fantano then recounts the profile of SBS for international viewers.
“I can’t believe it didn’t dawn on these people to do either a reverse image search or even think that it was strange that I had a record collection sitting behind me or I had an image of something else next to me or that I don’t even look that much like the guy whose photos they were posting in the wrap up until that point.”
“I think it just says a lot about the current state of journalism, I guess.” After sending his thoughts to the victims and families affected by the Oregon shooting, Fantano signs off, saying, “Let’s hope tomorrow’s a little better.”
