Rose Luqiu also said there was no Saint Maria Hospital in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. "The rumor maker was not very precise. You can Google that yourself," she added on her microblog.

Hours later a report from Phoenix TV's website also formally dispelled the rumor saying the website had contacted a Hong Kong television reporter to confirm the report of Jin Yong's death was false.

Sharp-eyed netizens also detected another "flaw" in the original false story: Jin Yong was born on March 10, 1924 and not March 22, 1924. March 22, 1924 happened to be the birthday of another famous martial arts novelist, Liang Yusheng.

Need for discipline

China has entered into the era of microblogging, which is greatly propelled by Web portal Sina.com that runs t.sina.com, and the number of microblog users is expected to reach 65 million by the end of this year, says China News Service.

"Twitter brought the concept of the microblog to China, but it is Sina.com that has popularized this kind of Internet service here," said Hu Yong, an expert on new media at the School of Journalism and Communications of Peking University.

As the latest Internet interactive application, microblogging is getting increasingly popular among netizens, media outlets and social organizations because it has certain unique properties. Compared to other Internet applications such as blogs and online forums, microblogs are instantaneous and far-reaching. On computers or mobile phones, a simple click on "forward" allows the information to be instantaneously sent to others.

According to a China Youth Daily survey, which involved 3,282 people from 30 provinces around the Chinese mainland, 87 percent of respondents use microblogs to read about public opinion on current affairs and to post their own thoughts.

But the recent fake news scandal has highlighted concern about the voluminous information on microblogs. "To some extent, the significance of this incident is that it provides an opportunity to intensify the understanding of microblogging, inspiring us to consider the proper way to use and administrate microblogging," said Zhang Yuqiang, an associate professor of journalism at the Communication University of China.

"It's acknowledged the very speed of correction shows microblogging is a superior medium to traditional media outlets," Zhang said. "But, the problem is that it can also spread false information with equal speed, and that the lack of controls and rapid dissemination of what may be untrue stories gives it a viral power traditional media outlets lack."

For traditional media outlets, it is clear they must clearly specify the area of responsibility if they want to avoid such mistakes. The resigned China News Week Deputy Editor in Chief Liu Xinyu said their editor forwarded this "instantaneous news story" after he left work for the day. "The news outlet did not stipulate whom he must consult before he forwards something, so this is a flaw in the system," he said

Liu said new media outlets still have to follow the widely-accepted rules of journalism so confirmation and sourcing are still required. "Before posting news stories, verification must be made through various channels. Minimally, the relevant websites should be checked to see which sources are more credible."

In addition, sound regulations on the use of microblogging should be formulated and improved, which reduce and prevent improper actions in the long run. According to Zhang of the Communication University of China, the purpose of setting up rules is to protect freedom of speech and to keep the openness of microblogging so as to create healthy online environment.

"As for the majority of netizens, their media literacy plays a pivotal role. They should deal with the information in a sober and rational manner," said Zhang.

Liu Jun, a student microblogger in Qingdao, said he had learned lessons from spreading the rumor on Jin Yong's death. "I still enjoy its abundance of information, but I will think it over before I really take it."