On September 9 2019 and subsequently, a “palindrome week” meme circulated on Twitter: Above 10 dates ranging from September 10 to 19 2019, text read: PALINDROME WEEK Each date reads the same backwards and forwards for the next 10 days.
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Swedish Scientist Propose Cannibalism to Fight Climate Change?
On September 7 2019, United States President Donald Trump retweeted a Breitbart.com post that suggested a Swedish scientist had proposed that cannibalism was a viable solution to fight climate change: Swedish behavioral scientist Magnus Söderlund h
Truth or Fiction?→ Jim Carrey Depression Meme: ‘I Believe Depression is Legitimate. But…’
A July 5 2019 Instagram post purportedly quoting actor Jim Carrey on depression appeared on Facebook in screenshot form. The original featured an image of the actor and attributed the following quote to him: View this post on Instagram
Truth or Fiction?→ 911 Dispatcher Donna Reneau/Debra Stevens Drowning Incident
On September 1 2019, the following meme appeared in the Facebook group “LIVE PD FANS NO BOUNDARIES” (archived here), purportedly detailing an exchange between the woman shown in the photograph (911 dispatcher Donna Reneau) and a victim of
Truth or Fiction?→ Does the Australian ‘Gympie-Gympie’ Drive People to Suicide?
While the damage caused by the plant species Dendrocnide moroides has been recounted in various outlets, one graphic spreading in August 2019 adds apocryphal claims to the stories around it. The graphic shows a photograph of the plant, commonly known
Truth or Fiction?→ Are School Bus Stops Now More Dangerous Because of an All-Time High in Human Trafficking?
A back-to-school themed Facebook warning shared on September 5 2019 (archived here) declared that all school-age children must avoid all school bus stops because of an increased threat of human trafficking: Against a pastel background, black text d
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Reykjavik Ensure That Pride Flags Were Prominently Flown to Greet Mike Pence?
On September 4 2019, Twitter user @Heklina shared the following tweet showing a number of gay flags and with commentary about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Iceland: Here’s a great example of why I’m proud to be from Iceland
Truth or Fiction?→ Dear ‘Ban Gun’ Teenagers, 11 Teens Die a Day from Texting and Driving
Facebook status memes about guns in general consistently appear in the now nearly constant wake of mass shootings, but a February 2018 iteration (archived here) aimed at “‘ban gun’ teenagers” puts forth an insincere argument
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Japanese Students Exempt from Taking Exams Until the Fourth Grade?
Some social media users and blogs looking to criticize the American educational system have seized on citing its Japanese counterpart as an aspirational example. But at least one widely-circulated example hinges on a lack of context. The claim has bee
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘10,874 People Killed by Drunk Drivers in 2017, 403 by Rifles but Walmart Stops Selling Rifles’ Meme
On September 3 2019, the Facebook page “Life’s Short Live Free” shared the following meme commentary (archived here), discussing Walmart discontinuing the sale of some firearms: Black text against a purple background contr
Truth or Fiction?→ The Love Letters of Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher
Various memes detailing a secret relationship between two British men during World War II described in various posts circulated through social media in August 2019. One post about Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher, and the correspondence they kept th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Canada Agree to Take in 100,000 Palestinians?
A story first attributed to a media outlet in Lebanon has prompted criticism and a public denial from the Canadian government, which flatly called it misinformation. On September 4 2019, AlAkhbar.com reported that, per an agreement between Canada and
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There are 30,000 Gun Related Deaths Per Year by Firearms’
In August 2019, a Facebook post about the United States’ purported 30,000 gun deaths per year circulated, typically copied and pasted into individual posts which themselves were each shared a handful of times. One particular version coupled with
Truth or Fiction?→ Tim Allen ‘Trump 2020 or America Is Dead’ Commentary
In late August and early September 2019, a number of Facebook users shared “pearls of wisdom” attributed to actor Tim Allen; topics discussed included United States President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, the death of Ame
Truth or Fiction?→ Has ICE Refused to Deport Undocumented White Immigrants?
While the majority of attention on deportations by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has centered around their actions against immigrants from Latin American countries, it is inaccurate to say that the agency does not
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Teen in Colorado Fall Gravely Ill From Vaping?
On August 30 2019, a Facebook user shared a lengthy post (archived here) about her daughter Piper’s purported illness, in a screed blaming “vaping” for the girl’s condition. In the post, Johnson claimed that two weeks previou
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This View of Hurricane Dorian Is Unlike Anything I’ve Ever Seen’
On September 1 2019, the following image purportedly depicting a rainbow in the eye of Hurricane Dorian appeared on social media: The post was shared more than 30,000 times in two days. An added caption read: Dorian’s image from NASA!!!😲🙏
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Kevin Hart ‘Paralyzed’ in a Car Crash?
On September 2 2019, a blog seemingly devoted to ginning up traffic for “shocking videos” on a separate website made a detour into disinformation by attempting to capitalize on comedian Kevin Hart’s real-life auto accident. According
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Rep. Ilhan Omar Photographed at an ‘Al Qaeda Training Camp’?
A Twitter user was seemingly intent on spreading disinformation about Democratic Party Rep. Ilhan Omar on Twitter, even after the “proof” they presented was quickly debunked. In late August 2019, the account posted a photograph of a woman
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Democratic Party Pass a Resolution ‘Against Christianity’?
A far-right Christian blog exaggerated the language of a Democratic National Committee resolution expressing support for people who do not practice any religion, painting it as an attack on the Christian faith itself. The post on Stream.org took issue
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump Share a Logo Identical to One Used by a White Nationalist Group?
While it denies any links to white nationalists, President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign spread a logo first used by a white supremacist group on August 28, 2019. The logo — a red and white lion’s head inside a blue band adorned wi
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Olive Garden Funding Trump’s 2020 Campaign?
On August 26 2019, a Facebook user shared the following post (archived here), claiming Olive Garden was financially backing United States President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign: It seems that a few times a week, text-based status
Truth or Fiction?→ Nine Things a Woman Couldn’t Do in 1971
In August 2019 the Facebook page “Old Crone” shared the following post, listing nine everyday activities women were purportedly prohibited from doing up until the year 1971 (with some commentary about subsequent related liberties): Bene
Truth or Fiction?→ Did The Movie ‘Venom’ Get More Money Than Fire Relief for the Brazilian Amazon?
Following the August 2019 news that the G7 economic forum agreed to pledge $20 million to contain fires tearing through the Amazon rainforest, digital artist Todd Vaziri‘s note of perspective on Twitter struck a chord online. Vaziri — who has
Truth or Fiction?→ Can You Use Breastmilk Topically to Treat Various Conditions?
In August 2018, a post from “Parents R Us” about topical use of breastmilk to treat various conditions (archived here) appeared and has made the rounds online since, showing claims that have long been around in other forms as advice shar
Truth or Fiction?→ Were the Bones of Children Found on Epstein’s Island?
On August 20 2019, the Facebook page “The Trump Room” shared the following post (archived here), claiming that children’s bones were found on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island and questioning why this had not been reported: W
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Coroner Who Declared Jeffrey Epstein’s Death a Suicide Work for the Clinton Foundation Until 2015?
Rumors and conspiracies immediately followed the August 2019 jailhouse suicide of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, among them a Facebook post (archived here) claiming that the coroner who attended Epstein’s death worked for the Clinton F
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a North Carolina Teenager Registering People to Vote at a Popeye’s Chicken?
A teenager in Charlotte, North Carolina has received online interest and attention for showing ingenuity in the midst of a separate social media-driven trend by using it to register people to vote. David Ledbetter, a 17-year-old high school senior, be
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Dictator Joseph Stalin Once a Hip, Young Democratic Socialist?
A meme claiming that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was once a hip, young atheist and a Democratic Socialist appeared on Facebook (archived here) in August 2019. Beneath a black-and-white photograph of an arguably handsome young man, text read: Josef
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This the Bedroom of Medgar Evers’ Sons?
On August 23 2019, Facebook user Steven Pokin shared a photograph along with a lengthy status update, claiming that it shows the bedroom that Medgar Evers’ sons slept in: This is where the two little sons of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers s
Truth or Fiction?→ Comparing the Cost of Insulin Pens in the United States with Other Countries
A graphic spreading online apparently attempts to advocate for people with diabetes by listing several claims related to the price of insulin pens in the United States and other countries: However, efforts like this can do more harm than good. “
Truth or Fiction?→ Does This Map Show the Locations of the Amazon Wildfires?
In the later days of August 2019, a map showing the many locations of wildfires raging through Brazil’s Amazon rainforest territory (and through other countries) made the rounds. The map contains legitimate information, but experts did advise re
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Text on this Tote Bag Say It Was There to ‘Terrify Those Afraid of Arabic’?
Two Palestinian graphic designers’ work has been drawing attention for years online, but online shoppers looking to spread its sarcastic message may be disappointed. Haitham Haddad and Sana Jammalieh’s totebag was first seen in August 201
Truth or Fiction?→ Was an Ecuadorian Tribe’s Rainforest Home Hit by a Rash of Wildfires?
As awareness of unprecedented wildfires hitting rainforests in the Brazilian Amazon spread online in August 2019, social media users began drawing links between the blazes and a court victory for an indigenous Ecuadorian tribe weeks earlier. On July 1
Truth or Fiction?→ Has Denmark Offered to Buy the United States From Russia?
In the later days of August 2019, the Trump administration presented a dizzying array of outrageous claims and proposals, one of which appeared to capture the hearts and minds of American reporters completely for several days — a pitch to buy Greenl
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Presidents of the United States and France Agree on Inviting Russia Back Into the Group of Seven?
An August 20 2019 story about the Group of Seven (G7) economic forum and purported discussions between United States President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron was quickly contradicted by other reporters. CNN’s Kylie Atwoo
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Someone Act Out a ‘Mock Assassination’ of Trump at a Democratic Fundraiser?
A Democratic state senator in Illinois apologized after confirming that photographs of an “assassination” of a person dressed up like President Donald Trump were taken at a fundraising event. “The incident that took place is unaccept
Truth or Fiction?→ Did University of Findlay Students Discover a Chemical Compound that Kills Glioblastoma?
On August 18 2019, Facebook page “Smooth AF” shared a screenshot of a tweet claiming that University of Findlay students had discovered a chemical compound that “kills glioblastoma cells”: At the top of the image was an August
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dick’s Sporting Goods Lose $150 Million After Reducing Gun Sales?
On August 15 2019 the following meme (archived here) was shared to social media platforms: White text across a purple background read: Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO: We lost $150M in sales since we stopped selling guns. We still don’t regre
Truth or Fiction?→ Do an Average of 22 United States Military Veterans Kill Themselves Every Day?
While seeking to boost awareness and help toward United States military veterans, a long-standing online claim and the various graphics promoting it are based on some misreporting of data regarding veteran suicide rates. The claim often states that on