Lane Kiffin jokingly tweets ‘fake news’ involving WLOX in a now-viral Twitter moment
Donald Trump is back on Twitter and Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin is taking a line from the former U.S. president in a now-viral tweet involving WLOX-TV in Biloxi.
Kiffin tweeted a “scoop” that a Starkville, Mississippi, reporter was leaving the TV station there and heading to WLOX as the new lead anchor.
Spoiler alert: Kiffin made it up.
“Breaking News: Jon Sokoloff of #WCBINews in Starkville, MS plans to step down as lead anchor and head to #WLOX as lead anchor. Sources say WLOX hasn’t offered anyone the job yet. So Jon to WLOX is happening. Story soon.”
Sokoloff, who is actually the sports director at WCBI, tweeted earlier in the day that Kiffin was reportedly going to step down as Ole Miss coach on Friday and become the new head coach for the Auburn Tigers. Kiffin and Ole Miss have denied Sokoloff’s report.
Kiffin took Sokoloff’s tweet and made it his own, surprising WLOX’s lead anchor Hugh Keeton.
“According to @Lane_Kiffin I’m being replaced! @WLOX It’s crazy coaching season,” Keeton tweeted. Kiffin retweeted the post, confirming his original tweet was “fake news.”
WLOX News Director Brad Kessie confirmed Keeton is not being replaced by Sokoloff.
“To be be recognized by a great social media star like Lane Kiffin, even when the post is blatantly wrong, is flattering,” Kessie told the Sun Herald on Tuesday. “Of course, when you’re the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year, everyone wants to be associated with your team.”
Ole Miss plays Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving Day.
