Wrong death! Jelinek is the victim of a devastating fake news scandal

Wrong death! Jelinek is the victim of a devastating fake news scandal

Vienna, AT - The spread of fake news about the supposed death of the Nobel Laureate in literature Elfriede Jelinek recently caused excitement. On June 17, 2025, several media reported the news that was originally distributed by the X-Account "Rowohlt AT". The account reported that the 78-year-old Jelinek died, which immediately caused numerous reactions. Jennifer Luger von vienna.at illuminates the background of this false report.

The origin of the fake news is attributed to the Italian author Tommaso Debedetti, who has been noticed several times in the past through similar actions. The news about Jelinek's death was previously found on July 24, 2024 in an Internet post that was incorrectly published under the name of the German writer Jenny Erpenbeck. However, this had never written such a contribution, and Pia Janke, the head of the Elfriede Jelinek research center in Vienna, confirmed that Jelinek lives.

the reaction and the consequences

Rowohlt-Verlag referred to the false report as HOAX and decided to deny it. Jenny Erpenbeck expressed outrage about the use of her name in the fake post and announced that it would take legal action. She also pointed out that the account that spread the news has existed since February 2024 and has not received any official confirmation.

The spread of such fake news raises questions about media literacy that, according to studies, is becoming increasingly important today. Empirical data prove that fake news is less common, but are consumed more intensively in certain circles. Low trust in political and media institutions can cause people to be particularly susceptible to this wrong information. The Federal Center for Political Education (bpb) notes that Donald Trump and the Brexit-Referendum have increasingly fake Focus is on.

measures against fake news

The EU has launched several initiatives to act against the spread of disinformation. Projects such as "EU vs. Disinfo" and the European Digital Media Observatory should support the fight against fake news and the promotion of media literacy. Sensitization through “vaccinations” and fact checks play a central role in these efforts.

The current situation around Elfriede Jelinek illustrates how susceptible information on social media is for manipulations. In times when the boundaries between true and false often blur, it is essential to promote critical reflection on media content and to strengthen trust in serious sources.