A British broadcasting official’s critique of Idris Elba’s popular detective show Luther spread exponentially in April 2021 following a questionable quote in a British tabloid. According to the Daily Mail: The BBC’s diversity chief ha
Publication: daily mail
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Meghan Markle Could be Running for President in 2024’
A pair of posts in March 2021 illustrated how a narrative can be laundered across several blogs — in this case, one of the many attempts to speculate about Meghan Markle’s possible goals after her departure from an active role in the Britis
Truth or Fiction?→ Seattle ‘Poverty Defense’ Proposal Sparks Viral Outrage
On December 14 2020, right-wing clickbait site the Daily Wire claimed that the city of Seattle, Washington was mulling over a “poverty defense”: Seattle Considering ‘Poverty Defense’ Exempting Criminals Based On Their Needs https://
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Since the Netflix Love Letters Have Been Pouring For Chris Watts, Including Marriage Proposals and Money’
On October 8 2020, Netflix’s American Murder documentary was popular enough that it generated a whole slew of viral claims. Among them was a Facebook rumor that subject Chris Watts received a flood of new “fan mail” (including money
Truth or Fiction?→ Chris Watts and Ring Footage with a ‘Fetus and a Skull in Oil’ in ‘American Murder’
Netflix’s American Murder documentary was popular enough in October 2020 to generate a storm of conspiracy theories, and among widely-discussed elements was a purported “coincidence” during which Chris Watts is questioned by police &
Truth or Fiction?→ Ghost in the Watts Family Documentary ‘American Murder’
An October 8 2020 Daily Mail article headlined “Man claims there is a ‘GHOST’ of a little girl in new Netflix documentary about family killer Chris Watts, insisting he can see the spirit in the background of police bodycam footage
Truth or Fiction?→ Ghost in the Watts Family Documentary ‘American Murder’
An October 8 2020 Daily Mail article headlined “Man claims there is a ‘GHOST’ of a little girl in new Netflix documentary about family killer Chris Watts, insisting he can see the spirit in the background of police bodycam footage
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘University of Oxford Clapping Ban’ Rumor
In October 2019, a number of tabloids claimed that the University of Oxford had “banned clapping,” a move made at the behest of “snowflakes” made “anxious” by applause. The Daily Mail was one of those outlets, repo
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Fans Contract Herpes from Belle Delphine’s Bathwater?
In July 2019 Instagram cosplayer Belle Delphine offered her bathwater for sale, news of which was quickly followed by a rumor that purchasers were afflicted with herpes after drinking it. Prior to that story appearing, Insider reported: Belle Delphin
Truth or Fiction?→ Does an X-Ray Show Hundreds of Undigested Boba Pearls in a Young Chinese Patient?
In June 2019, a number of websites and news outlets reported that a young girl in China was treated for symptoms related to the discovery of “hundreds” of undigested boba pearls in her digestive tract via x-ray. Notably, headlines for the
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Dutch Teenager Euthanized Because of Rape Trauma?
In early June 2019, a number of English-speaking news organizations reported that a 17-year-old Dutch girl named Noa Pothove had been “euthanized” at her request, following years of unsuccessful treatment due to the trauma of rape and sexu
Snopes→ Does Sniffing Rosemary Increase Memory by 75 Percent?
Such quantitative sounding claims are great for viral shares and page views but are meaningless when one digs into their origins.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Barber Mistakenly Shave a ‘Play’ Button on a Client’s Head Because of a Paused Video?
In January 2019, 9Gag shared a post titled “Barber Mistakenly Shaves A Play Button Into Client’s Hair After Being Shown A Paused Video.” It was light on details and included several amusing images: 9Gag had very little to say about t
The Friends, the Video, and the Bear in the Bucket
October 2018 was, like the months immediately preceding it, a seemingly endless march of stressful news stories and increasing political tensions globally as elections loomed in countries around the world. That naturally led a subsection of internet regulars to seek out more uplifting, simple stories, preferably those involving rescuing cute animals. The Daily Mail got in on […]
The post The Friends, the Video, and the Bear in the Bucket appeared first on What’s True?.
Snopes→ Did Media Falsely Report That Border Agents Separated a Girl From Her Mother?
A spate of blog posts claimed that news organizations misrepresented a photograph of a crying immigrant child who was in fact never separated from her mother.
Snopes→ Is Using ‘Bug Spray’ to Get High an Alarming New Trend?
Media reports conflate a number of events, some of them speculative, to manufacture the existence of an emerging trend about the use of bug spray.
Snopes→ Did a Former Canadian Official Say the Illuminati Are Real—And Hiding Alien Stuff?
Canada's former minister of defense has long espoused conspiracy theories.
Snopes→ Were Cats Used as Prizes in Arcade Claw Machines?
The nature of a video posted to Chinese social media is unclear, but it may have been staged for an advertisement.
Snopes→ Did a White House Intern Make the ‘White Power’ Hand Gesture?
An intern could be seen making the "OK" gesture in an official photograph with the president, but denied he was making a white supremacist gesture.
Snopes→ Woman Almost Loses Leg After Cutting Herself Shaving?
Viral reports of a woman’s harrowing experience with a life-threatening skin infection are mostly true, but omitted some important details.
Snopes→ Was a Rapist Given Joint Legal Custody of His Victim’s Child?
A man who reportedly raped and threatened to kill a girl in 2008 was awarded joint legal custody of the victim's child when she applied for food stamps.
Snopes→ Did ‘Melbourne Antifa’ Claim Responsibility for the Vegas Massacre?
A page falsely posing as part of the anti-fascist movement put up a post claiming that "comrades" were responsible for an October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Snopes→ Did a Harvard Study Prove That Apple Slows Down iPhones to Boost Sales of New Ones?
No study, from Harvard or anyone else, "proved" that Apple deliberately makes its older iPhones slower when releasing new gadgets.
Snopes→ Did ‘Liberal Feminist’ Katie Hopkins Advocate ‘Euthanasia Vans’ for the Elderly?
Hopkins, a British commentator known for making outrageous and sometimes morally bankrupt statements, made the comments in 2015.
Snopes→ Are Vigilante Protesters Digging Up Confederate Graves After Charlottesville Clashes?
Despite reports, emboldened protesters in Charlottesville have not started unearthing the bodies of Confederate soldiers.
Snopes→ 31-Year-Old British Woman Died of “Cannabis Poisoning”?
Although this claim is based on official testimony from a pathologist during an inquiry into a mysterious death, scientific evidence makes such an explanation problematic, if not completely untenable.
Snopes→ Was a Pastor Eaten by Crocodiles While Trying to Walk on Water?
Multiple tabloids repeated an unsubstantiated claim that a pastor was eaten by crocodiles in an attempt to demonstrate how Jesus walked on water.
Snopes→ Did the Daily Mail Delete a Story Reporting the U.S. Planned to Blame Assad for ‘False Flag’ Chemical Attacks?
The British tabloid did delete the 2013 story, but only because they were forced to admit it was not true.
Snopes→ Daily Mail Reportedly Pays Melania Trump $2.9 Million Settlement in Libel Suit
The British tabloid admitted claims about the First Lady's having worked for an escort service were "not true."
Snopes→ Was a Japanese Man Crushed to Death by a Pile of Pornography?
Spurious articles reported that a man was crushed by a pile of pornography; he actually died of a heart attack.
Snopes→ Did Obama Aide Valerie Jarrett Move in with the Obamas to ‘Mastermind’ an Anti-Trump Insurgency?
Web sites are citing a tabloid claim that Valerie Jarrett, a friend and close adviser to the Obamas, is sharing their home as part of a plot to oust President Trump from office.