Oops! UK’s Eastbourne Herald grabbed a Facebook photo of Orange County Register reporter John Wilkinson while preparing its obit for “avid Herald letter writer” and Eastbourne resident John Wilkinson.
“My high school buddies and I have a running Facebook chat and this afternoon, one of them sent me this screen capture of my photo next to a story about another writer with the same name passing away,” says the surviving Wilkinson.
The Register reporter was 7 when the picture was taken at the 1997 Rose Bowl. “Maybe the retro nature of it contributed to their mistake,” he writes in an email. “No big deal, but a good laugh for the friends fake-eulogizing me on Facebook and as a joke to email my family and co-workers.”
* Tribute paid to avid letter writer John (with new photo) (eastbourneherald.co.uk)