The Nantucket Sea Monster: A TRUE Fake News Story

A free press is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

But early founders of the US knew there would be problems.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.” He understood that democracy needs a free press to monitor the government.

But later, Jefferson wrote in a letter to a friend, "“Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper.” He understood also that a free press means there will be bad actors who don't vet the stories they publish, whether making ignorant mistakes or deliberately writing a falsehood. 

A Free Press brings with it the challenge of Fake News.

Help Kids Understand Fake News--and the Promise and Problems of a Free Press

Enter an entertaining story about a sea monster! Just what kids need to understand the issues at stake here.

On August 7, 1937, the weekly newspaper of Nantucket Island, The Inquirer and Mirror, published an article about a sea monster sighting. Incredibly, the story spread rapidly. At the time, the wire services were the heart of global news, the AP (Associated Press) and UP (United Press. Instead of sending news reporters to situations, newspapers subscribed to a wire service which sent out information. In today's terms, putting a story on the wire services would give a story the possibility of going viral.

Indeed, the sea monster sighting was reported nationwide in a popular, and "viral" story:

The newspaper said, “As a result Nantucket was mentioned in favorable news stories from Cape Cod to California. The actual cash value of the space obtained is difficult to estimate but will run into many thousand of dollars.”

Here's the Real Story

Tony Sarg was a puppeteer who live on Nantucket Island. One of his jobs was to design huge balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, balloons which he saw as upside down puppets. 

IN 1937, he designed a sea monster balloon.Her'e the balloon flying in the 1937 Thanksgiving Parade in New York City.

To publicize the parade--and Nantucket Island--Sarg developed the elaborate hoax. They would report that a sea monster had been sighted off Nantucket Island.

Here's where it's tricky. This is a publicity stunt, right? No. It went beyond that because the newspapermen KNEW it was a stunt. And yet, they published the fake news. They even sent it out on the wire services so the story spread nationwide. 

The published more than one article about the sea monsters, escalating the tensions and fears.

Finally, on August 18th, the 135-foot sea monster balloon was floated onto the beach at Nantucket Island--and the hoax was revealed. Here's Tony Sarg with islanders admiring the huge balloon.

The sea monster on the beach!

Discussing Fake News with Kids

Here's one of the news articles:

1) Evaluate evidence. If you read a fantastical story like this, do you believe it just because it's in a newspaper or just because you read it online? Or do you ask questions and try to learn more? 

2) Wait for more information. The first sea monster story was published on August 7, and the true explanation came out on August 18. Sometimes, waiting for more information will eventually reveal the truth. Discuss what it means when we say, "Jumping to conclusions."

3) Discuss Thomas Jefferson's quotes above. How does a Free Press help a democracy? What are the dangers of a Free Press (fake news)?

MORE READING

My friend, Leslie Helakoski has a 2026 book called Fake Gnus.

This story takes facts about the mysterious gnus and explores what is true and false.

ORDER THE NANTUCKET SEA MONSTER

Click on the image for more information on ordering THE NANTUCKET SEA MONSTER.