THE MAN BEHIND satirical news website Waterford Whispers News has revealed that he was approached by RTÉ, but turned down the national broadcaster because he wants to instead create his own ‘close to the bone’ video content.
The website has gone from strength to strength over the past five years, filling a niche in Irish media.
It made international headlines in January after duping media into believing that North Korea had reported landing an astronaut on the sun.
“That was the big one, it just went bananas from there”, Colm Williamson told TheJournal.ie, “And I didn’t really think much of that story at that time.”
The Tramore-based publication began five years ago on Facebook, and later expanded to a website.
Now, Williamson is hoping to expand his team further, which currently consists of him and two others. There are also plans for video content and a radio venture is in the pipeline.
Later this month the stories will appear in print for the first time with the release of Waterford Whispers News: The State of The Nation.
“If you said to me four or five years ago I was going to be releasing a book, I would have said you were crazy,” Williamson said.
The website has attracted attention from larger media organisations, and Williamson even found himself being approached by RTÉ.
“They kinda approached me about [a video series], but I just don’t think it would suit TV,” Williamson said, and will instead perform better on social media.
It’s quite dark, and I’m not sure if that would work. We’re planning our own videos, and they’re going to be very close to the bone.
If you’ve a spare €15.99, Waterford Whispers News: The State of the Nation will be in bookshops from 21 November.
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