AUSTIN, Texas -- Newspaper racks in Austin were stuffed Tuesday with unauthorized look-alike editions of the Austin American-Statesman, proclaiming the United States is at war in El Salvador.
The fake 'Austin American-Sycophant' -- printed with the same layout style and typeface as the American-Statesman -- also had headlines claiming 'American casualties in combat' and 'Central Americans flee repression.'
The banner headlinein the fake two-page newspaper said 'Government, media lie about El Salvador.'
Roger Kintzel, publisher of the American-Statesman, said the nameplate on the fake newspaper closely resembles the Statesman's nameplate.
'It's not a bad replica,' Kintzel said. 'I'm angry about it.'
It appeared the fake newspaper was placed in American-Statesman racks between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Tuesday, between the first and second runs of the newspaper, he said.
Kintzel said he was not sure how many racks were affected but it appeared that many were in central Austin, around the University of Texas and downtown areas. Circulation personnel were told to check newspaper racks across the city.
The American-Statesman sells about 10,000 copies a day from newspaper racks in Central Texas and about half that number is sold in Austin.
Kintzel said Statesman officials do not know who is responsible for the fake newspaper. The incident was reported to the police but Kintzel said he was not sure what kind of legal action could be taken.
