On January 3 2022, an Imgur account shared the following meme about a bill in the state of Illinois that would force unvaccinated individuals pay out of pocket for COVID-related hospital stays: Text at the top and bottom of the meme read: Illinois int
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Apparently in Luxembourg Your Commute Is Part of Your Workday …’
On January 2 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of the following tweet, describing putative paid commutes in Luxembourg: Apparently in Luxembourg your commute is part of your workday and that made me wonder how cities would look different if the
Truth or Fiction?→ The Betty White Challenge
The late December 2021 death of cultural icon Betty White prompted an outpouring of tributes — and suggestions about how to best honor her life. On January 1 2022, posts about a “Betty White Challenge” began circulating across platfo
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Macaulay Culkin is Now 4 Years Older than Catherine O’Hara Was When She Played His Mom in Home Alone’
In December 2021, screenshots of a tweet indicating that former child actor Macaulay Culkin was “now” four years older that Catherine O’Hara when Home Alone was filmed began circulating among Facebook users: In the screenshot, the T
Truth or Fiction?→ Sculpture by Manuel Oliver, Father of Parkland Victim Joaquin Oliver
On December 20 2021, Imgur user SisterMidnight shared the image below, titled “Joaquin Oliver’s life ended at 17 years old at his high school in Parkland, Florida. His father, Manuel, sculpted this and my heart is shredded”: A December 1
Truth or Fiction?→ ’48 Pictures of the Sun’
On December 7 2021, a Facebook user shared a post purportedly depicting “48 pictures of the sun”: The post appeared to be a screenshot of an earlier post with text added to the image. It did not include any contextual information like the
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Jimmy Carter Help Stop a Nuclear Reactor from Melting Down?
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s first-hand encounter with nuclear power received newfound attention in December 2021 — thanks, as usual, to social media. When he was 28 years old, Carter — at that point a scientist in the U.S. Na
Truth or Fiction?→ Mayfield, Kentucky Theater Image
In the aftermath of a deadly series of tornadoes on December 10 2021, a purported photograph of a damaged theater in Mayfield, Kentucky spread virally on Twitter: This picture from the aftermath of the Kentucky tornadoes has to be the picture of the
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the ‘Bad Guy’ in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ Dr. Fauci?
On December 12 2021, a smear meme circulated on Facebook and Twitter, asserting that the “bad guy” in the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club was Dr. Anthony Fauci: pic.twitter.com/GlpYe3VPhK — TDD (@Tymnyc325) December 12, 2021 Atop a D
Truth or Fiction?→ Jim Finch and the Mayfield Tornado
After devastating tornadoes wrought havoc in several states in December 2021, social media posts about a man named Jim Finch helping Mayfield, Kentucky residents (among the hardest hit) spread virally. A Facebook post with a still image read: This man
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘When You Meet a Member of the Ku Klux Klan’
On December 13 2021, a poem titled “When You Meet a Member of the Ku Klux Klan” spread virally on Facebook and Twitter: The poem read as follows: When You Meet A Member Of The Ku Klux Klan Robert L. Poston (1921) When you meet a member of
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The New Mural on the Side of the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, MD’
On December 9 2021, a Facebook user shared the following image of a mural depicting Harriet Tubman: Text at the top of the image read: The new mural on the side of the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, MD. At the bottom, a signature appeared. It rea
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Teachers in South Dakota Compete in a ‘Dash for Cash’ Event?
A reporter’s account of a “Dash For Cash” promotion in South Dakota in December 2021 unintentionally turned into a glimpse at something more dystopian. Annie Todd of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper documented the contest, hoste
Truth or Fiction?→ Unpacking the DC National Guard Miller Memo
A wave of reporting on an “explosive” PowerPoint document about the events of January 6 2021 renewed interest in a memo issued two days before by former Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller about deployment of the DC National Guard
Truth or Fiction?→ Grapefruit Antidepressants Overdose Warning
On December 7 2021, a Facebook user shared the following status update, warning that eating grapefruit while on antidepressants could have major unintended consequences: Since grapefruit season is coming up soon, this is a friendly reminder that you CA
Truth or Fiction?→ Charles Schulz on Peanuts’ Franklin: ‘Print It Just the Way I Draw It or I Quit’
On December 9 2021, an Imgur account shared a meme with the claim that the creator of the popular Peanuts cartoon series, Charles Schulz, threatened to quit his work over demands that he “eliminate” Franklin, the only Black character in th
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ben Franklin Left Money to Boston’
On December 9 2021, Imgur user rippinro shared the following meme, claiming that Benjamin Franklin left $2,000 to young people in Boston and Philadelphia in his will: Underneath a portrait of Franklin, text read: Benjamin Franklin left $2,000 to Bosto
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If the Minimum Wage Increased at the Rate of Productivity Since 1960, It’d Be $24 Today—Not $7.25’
On December 8 2021, Imgur user Lanhdanan shared a screenshot of a tweet claiming that if the federal minimum wage rose in concert with worker productivity, it would be $24 an hour in 2021. That image showed a December 5 2021 tweet by user Qasim Rashid:
Truth or Fiction?→ The Newsmax ‘Vlad the Great’ Cover
On December 7 and 8 2021, a Newsmax “Vlad the Great” cover photograph circulated on social media platforms like Imgur and Twitter: For anyone who thinks Newsmax is anything but Russian disinformation, here is the cover of Newsmax Magazine
Truth or Fiction?→ Shelf Life of Mifepristone and Misoprostol
As discourse about the future legality of abortion continued on December 6 2021, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of two tweets addressing the shelf lives of mifepristone and misoprostol — two drugs known to terminate a pregnancy: In the depict
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Dolly Turned Down a Medal of Freedom from Trump, Twice’
On December 7 2021, Imgur user AustinKocher shared what appeared to be a screenshot of his own tweet, claiming that music icon Dolly Parton “turned down” a Medal of Freedom offered by former United States President Donald Trump — and
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Texas Gave Up Land For Slavery’
On December 5 2021, a Facebook user shared the following screenshot, which shows a conversation about Texas giving up some of its land to Oklahoma in order to preserve slavery: Depicted was a Tumblr post based on this September 8 2021 tweet (in which
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Most Detailed Image of a Human Cell’
On November 27 2021, a Facebook user shared what they described as a photograph of “the most detailed model of a human cell to date”: Alongside the image, text appeared (but no links or citations). It read: This photo is the most detailed
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Albedo,’ ‘Bright Darkness,’ and ‘Snowglow’
On December 1 2021, the Facebook page “Vellum and Vinyl” shared a screenshot of the following Tumblr post, discussing “albedo” — a measurement of reflectivity and the “bright darkness” caused by snowfall after
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Minnesota Keeps the Original Confederate Flag’ and Refuses to Return It?
On December 1 2021, a Facebook page shared a Tumblr screenshot, claiming that Minnesota “keeps the original Confederate flag hidden”: On November 17 2021, an account on r/tumblr shared the same screenshot (and others, in a larger set), in
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘In Greece, If You Are Over 60 and Not Vaccinated, You Will Be Fined 100 Euros a Month’
On December 1 2021, Imgur user athansTaker shared a meme about a purportedly looming fine for unvaccinated people in Greece over the age of 60: Across an unrelated photograph of a blue frog in a tree, text read: In Greece, if you are over 60 and not
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Maximum Legal Campaign Donation is Indexed to Inflation, But the Minimum Wage is Not’
On December 1 2021, Imgur user Lanhdanan shared an undated Twitter screenshot with an uncited claim that maximum campaign donations were tied to inflation — but the federal minimum wage was not: Although, as mentioned, the context of the date wa
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Dawn Hand Soap or Dish Soap?
Facebook’s “Reels” feature prioritizes TikTok-like videos. That this is an imperfect system is not in dispute, and in fact the feature is prioritizing misleading content — including an October 6 2021 clip claiming that Dawn dish
Truth or Fiction?→ Bass Pro Shops, 7th Largest Pyramid in the World?
On November 25 2021, an Imgur account shared the following meme declaring that the seventh largest pyramid in the world was a Bass Pro Shops location: Text over an admittedly impressive pyramid bearing a “Bass Pro Shops” logo read: Can
Truth or Fiction?→ Japan ‘Santa Crucified’ Christmas Meme
On November 26 2021, an Imgur meme dump featured a long-circulating image labeled “in Japan, they don’t fully understand Christmas yet,” involving a photograph purportedly depicting a crucified Santa Claus: Two weeks earlier, an Imgu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Don’t Do Drugs’ Pencil
On November 22 2021, Imgur user CeleryMan7 shared a meme about a “don’t do drugs pencil” and its purported recall in the 1990s: At the top of the image was text reading “These pencils that recalled in the 1990s for obvious reas
Truth or Fiction?→ Big Macs in Denmark Versus Big Macs in the USA
On November 23 2021, the Facebook page “Gritty 2020” shared an image which purported to contrast the costs of Big Macs in the United States and Denmark with McDonald’s workers’ wages and benefits: In the above meme (“USA
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Camomiles and Pansies,’ A Fake Cosmetics Store to Assist Victims of Domestic Violence
On November 20 2021, posts about a fake online store called “Camomiles and Pansies” (for victims of domestic violence to seek help discreetly) were shared to Imgur and Reddit’s r/interestingasfuck: The Imgur iteration appeared to be
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Squirrel Teeth’ Fashion Trend
On November 14 2021, a Facebook user shared images of “squirrel teeth,” a purported “fashion trend” to the Facebook group “بن بريم للطبخ والØلويات وكل مايخص المطبخ والتدابير الÙ
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Doom Boxes’
A viral November 16 2021 Facebook post from “Our Neurodivergent Life” described a phenomenon called “doom boxes,” a purportedly shared trait among individuals with ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder): Across four s
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘November 2021 Lunar Eclipse, The Longest in 580 Years’
On November 16 2021, the Facebook page “Soul Alchemy” shared a meme about a then-imminent lunar eclipse (“Friday,”) purportedly the longest such event in 580 years: Text on the meme unwittingly set it up for perpetual spread, r
Truth or Fiction?→ Ulmer Nest
On October 23 2021, the Facebook page “Scientific Facts” shared a meme which purportedly describing the “Ulmer Nest” in the German city of Ulm; a Twitter user shared the same meme on November 14 2021: The ulmer nest would be
Truth or Fiction?→ 2021 USPS Veterans Day Acknowledgement
On November 11 2021, social media users shared a purported United States Postal Service (USPS) card, acknowledging their dedication to “pubic service”: This is what Louis DeJoy had distributed to Veterans at the Postal Service today. Seem
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Amazon Customers Blocked From Using Visa Cards’
On November 17 2021, Twitter curated a headline — “Amazon customers blocked from using Visa cards” — to its trending topics and as an “event”; it looked like this: Twitter’s trending topics and “events&
Truth or Fiction?→ Minnesota Insulin Access Law
On November 16 2021, an Imgur user shared the following screenshot about Minnesota’s “insulin access law,” in a post with the title, “Big Pharma has to be taken down a peg or 10”: It showed a tweet from the verified @Publ