NBC News Accidentally Reports The Death Of Astronaut Neil Young

Shortly after the passing of astronaut Neil Armstrong, NBC News reported his death to the masses. Unfortunately for the news organization, nobody thought to proofread the article prior to its publication. Instead of announcing the passing of Neil Armstrong, NBC accidentally reported the death of astronaut Neil Young, The Chicago Tribune reports.

“Astronaut Neil Young, first man to walk on moon, dies at age 82,” the article stated. Before the correction could be made, the headline was tweeted to the company’s thousands of followers. Of course, it didn’t take very long for people to notice the blunder.

“NBC News ran a headline claiming that Astronaut Neil Young had died,” one user commented. “Brings a whole new meaning to Harvest Moon.”

According to Mediaite, NBC was the first to break the news about Neil Armstrong’s passing. Unfortunately, this means a lot of people probably saw that headline. To the company’s credit, the updated piece did include a note from the editor regarding the blunder.

NBC isn’t the first high-profile news organization to make a serious journalistic mistake. Earlier this year, CNN jumped the proverbial gun regarding the Supreme Court’s decision on Obama’s health care plan. The snafu, which was immediately spotted by eagle-eyed social media junkies, became a source of embarrassment for the company.

Neil Young, meanwhile, is alive and well. The 66-year-old rocker is reportedly preparing to unleash yet another album this October. This is no doubt good news for his fans, who may have experienced a bit of sadness over the news that their favorite musician/astronaut had died.

Sadly, Neil Armstrong, also known as the first man to walk on the moon, passed away at his home on August 25. The astronaut was recovering from heart surgery, and was reportedly doing well following the procedure. Presently, the cause of death is unknown. Armstrong’s family has also yet to comment on his passing.