On July 4 2022, a Reddit account shared an informatively titled post to r/funny, “happy 4th of July folks it’s the 11th anniversary of the infamous San Diego fireworks show where they all went off at once”: happy 4th of Jul
Publication: Fact Checks
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Tucker Carlson’s Mother Left Him $1 in Her Will’
On June 29 2022, a claim that Tucker Carlson’s mother left him one dollar (USD$1) in her will as the entirety of his inheritance began circulating on Twitter: remember when your mom died and left you one dollar in her will https://t.co/Tw0ZGkvu
Truth or Fiction?→ Number One Cause of Death for Pregnant Women in the United States
On June 28 2022, amid discussions of the countless ripple effects caused by ending Roe v. Wade, a Facebook page shared a screenshot of a viral tweet claiming that the primary cause of death for pregnant women in the United States was homicide, attached
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Myth vs. Fact: SCOTUS Dobbs Decision and America’s Attitude on Abortion’ Heritage Blog Post
On June 29 2022, Trendolizer listed a blog post from Heritage Action for America (“Myth vs. Fact: SCOTUS Dobbs Decision and America’s Attitude on Abortion”) as a virally popular link in circulation on social media. The contents of that li
Truth or Fiction?→ Ectopic Pregnancy and Abortion Bans
Following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, an urgent discussion about the legality of treating ectopic pregnancy in states with trigger laws began. One extremely viral aspect of the conversation originated with a since-delete
Truth or Fiction?→ American Academy of Pediatrics Statement on the ‘Grave Consequences’ of Forcing Children to Give Birth
After the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — effectively reversing the decades-old landmark decision recognizing the right to an abortion — an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a tweet referencing a statement by t
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The United States Has the Highest Maternal Mortality Rate of Any Developed Country’
On June 27 2022, an Imgur user shared a post claiming the United States had the highest rate of maternal mortality among developed nations, as part of am ongoing national discussion about the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: Wh
Truth or Fiction?→ Democrats Singing ‘God Bless America’ on June 24 2022
On June 24 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision preserving abortion rights, Roe v. Wade; as protests began to take shape in Washington, DC, a video of Democrats purportedly singing “God Bless America” at the Capitol spre
Truth or Fiction?→ Fox News ‘They/Them Summer’
On June 23 2022, a Twitter screenshot of a purported Fox News article about a “they/them” summer spread virally: OH SHIT NOW ITS OFFICIAL WE IN THE THEY/THEM SUMMER YALL pic.twitter.com/YytV5UliW5 — Lily Simpson is They/Them Summer
Truth or Fiction?→ $7250 ‘Westwood Lake’ Housing Advertisement from 1955
On June 20 2022, Twitter user @glory_manz shared a purported old advertisement for “Westwood Lake,” featuring houses priced at $7450: They really had it easy back then pic.twitter.com/VQmizZlO5R — King Glocky (@glory_manz) June 20,
Truth or Fiction?→ Gas Boycott July 3 to 5 2022
On June 19 2022 a Facebook user posted a concise status update, encouraging others to participate in a June 3 to 5 2022 gas boycott; it read: Do NOT Buy gas July 3-5!! Do NOT Buy gas July 3-5!! Do NOT Buy gas July 3-5!! As of June 22 2022, the post rac
Truth or Fiction?→ AriZona Iced Tea Price Increase
In mid-June 2022 a viral image circulated, suggesting that AriZona Iced Tea’s price increased to $1.29, from 99 cents: Worst thing I've seen today. pic.twitter.com/aHW39U0mFu — Adam Neuman (@AdamJNeuman) June 16, 2022 Officially t
Truth or Fiction?→ Oak Ridge National Laboratory Parallel Universe Experiments
Has the multiverse finally arrived? A June 18 2022 post by the Facebook page “Unexplained Mysteries” claimed scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Tennessee endeavored to “open a portal” to a parallel univer
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘In 2014, This French Weather Presenter Announced the Forecast for August 18, 2050’
On June 15 2022, a viral tweet a sobering claim — that a 2014 French weather forecast “for 2050” wound up matching the real-life French weather forecast in June 2022: In 2014, this French weather presenter announced the forecast for
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Young Girls Working at an Oyster Processing Plant’
On June 16 2022, an Imgur user shared a photograph of three young girls, purportedly child workers who labored shucking oysters; the same image was colorized and shared in May 2021 to Reddit’s r/TheWayWeWere: Coloured by me, 3 girls wh
Truth or Fiction?→ Pete Sessions’ Deleted Tweet
On June 16 2022, hearings about the January 6th 2021 coup attempt hearings continued; meanwhile, a screenshot of a tweet by an elected about Capitol visitors went viral — purportedly tweeted by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) before the insurrect
Truth or Fiction?→ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘Tampon Shortage’ Remarks
On June 14 2022, a Reddit user shared a claim to to the subreddit r/nottheonion (“for true stories that are so mind-blowingly ridiculous, that you could have sworn it was an Onion story”) that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) had bla
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘BTW, Gas Was $1.87 on Memorial Day in 2020 When the Mean Tweeter Was in Office’
A June 4 2022 Facebook post about gas prices in May 2020 had been shared more than 200,000 times as of June 15 2022: Black text against a green background read: Btw, gas was $1.87 on Memorial Day in 2020 when the mean tweeter was in office. Former Un
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Should the Department of Justice Bring Legal Action Against Elected Officials Who Have Attempted to Overturn the Results of an American Election’ Poll
On June 13 2022, a popular tweet from former Labor Secretary Robert Reich circulated; it asserted that a full two-thirds of Americans polled — 67 percent — were in favor of “legal action” undertaken by the U.S. Department of Jus
Truth or Fiction?→ Uvalde Body Cam Footage Suppressed?
On June 13 2022, a Reddit user on r/WhitePeopleTwitter shared a screenshot of two tweets about the purported refusal by Texas police to release body cam footage from the Uvalde school shooting: yup yup yup from WhitePeopleTwitter
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Kim Kardashian ‘Ruin’ Marilyn Monroe’s Dress?
On June 13 2022, the Twitter account @PopCrave claimed that Kim Kardashian had “ruined” Marilyn Monroe’s dress when she wore it to the May 2 2022 Met Gala: Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress has reportedly been damaged after being worn
Truth or Fiction?→ Patriot Front ”FBI Bullhorn’ Rumor
After the June 11 2022 arrests of 31 Patriot Front extremists in a U-Haul near a Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Pride event, the far right began its usual “false flag” claims on social media, this time with rumors that the members of Patriot Fr
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Brandon Spots His Sign’: ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Signs Help Boy with Autism
On June 10 2022, an Imgur user shared screenshots of a tweet from @RightWingCope, about the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” and its effects on a young boy with autism whose name is Brandon: Unironically one of the most wholesome stories
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Princess Leia’s Droid Named After Carrie Fisher’s Bird?
A photo of sci-fi icon Carrie Fisher in her youth made some fans assume it was linked to a new entry in the Star Wars canon. But while the photograph is legitimate, it has its own story. The photograph, which shows the young Fisher holding a bird, bega
Truth or Fiction?→ Supreme Court ‘100 Miles’ Border Ruling
On June 8 2022, a popular tweet claimed that the Supreme Court had recently established a zone within a hundred miles of the border in which border agencies agents could execute searches of homes with impunity: The Supreme Court just ruled that Bor
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Christians Against Ms. Marvel’ Facebook Group
On June 8 2022, a tweet about the Facebook group “Christians Against Ms. Marvel” was wildly and virally popular: Thanos was right, half of humanity needs to go pic.twitter.com/bl8jiwd9fs — Julian Tesolin (famous era) (@TesolinJulian
Truth or Fiction?→ Lac Del ‘Formula Pallets in Mexico’ Post
Amidst a baby formula shortage in the United States, a Facebook user ranted in a May 30 2022 status update that “formula” was widely available in Mexico: Our family is on vacation in Mexico. Not the mainland, but an island off the coast. We
Truth or Fiction?→ Wikipedia ‘List of School Shootings in the United States’ Video
On June 8 2022, a popular Imgur video post purportedly showed Wikipedia’s “List of School Shootings in the United States,” which is so extensive that it took a dishearteningly long time to scroll through: Wanted to read up on school
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Mark Cuban Start an Online Pharmacy?
On June 7 2022, an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a Facebook post about billionaire Mark Cuban starting an online pharmacy offering necessary prescription medications at a low cost: A similar Imgur post was shared on June 6 2022. On Reddit, a us
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Big Bird Supposed to Be on the Challenger?
In June 2022, a long-circulating claim that Big Bird nearly “died in space” on the ill-fated Challenger expedition re-emerged on an Imgur post: On what appeared to be a screenshot of a listicle, Sesame Street‘s Big Bird was shown ne
Truth or Fiction?→ Food Processing Plant Fires in 2022, Explained
A June 4 2022 tweet about the latest in a purported string of food processing plant fires (or “food factory” fires) built on other, similar narratives in order to go viral: The tweet addressed others who might be “not paying attention
Truth or Fiction?→ Welsh Road Sign Error
On June 2 2022, an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a Facebook post which purportedly showed a Welsh road sign with an amusing translation: The screenshot was undated; a status update above a photograph of a street sign in English and Welsh read:
Truth or Fiction?→ [Not] ‘Written by a Uvalde Mom’ Facebook Post
On June 3 2022, a post that was described as written by an “Uvalde mom” was “popular now” in Facebook search — relating to a circulating status update attributed to the mother of a child killed in the Uvalde, Texas school
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Saturn as Captured from a Backyard Telescope’
On May 28 2022, a Facebook user shared an image captioned, “Saturn as seen from a backyard telescope” to the large public group “Physics and Astronomy.” Commenters on the post seemed to believe the sharer captured the image pers
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘US Median Rent to Reach $2000’ in 2022
Amid an ongoing national discourse around average wages and a skyrocketing cost of living, a popular May 31 2022 tweet claiming that the median rent in the United States reached $2000 also spread in threads on Reddit and Imgur as part of a broader disc
Truth or Fiction?→ Universal Federal Free Lunch Program Ending
On May 31 2022, a popular Imgur post indicated federal free lunches in schools was slated to end the next month: As someone who’s family struggled financially growing up, they should just make school lunches free forever! That image-based post
Truth or Fiction?→ Tikrit Shoe Statue
On May 30 2022, a Reddit user shared a photograph which purportedly showed a “shoe monument” in Tikrit, Iraq, commemorating an incident during which an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush during a press
Truth or Fiction?→ Leading Cause of Death in Children Since 2020
On May 25 2022, ongoing discussions and discourse about the devastating Uvalde, Texas school shooting included a circulating statistic — that as of 2020, the leading cause of death in children was gun related: The leading cause of death among
Truth or Fiction?→ Marjorie Taylor Greene: ‘White Supremacy Should Not Be the Main Target … We Should Not Be Pursuing People Based on How They Vote’
As the nation continued to discover and discuss “replacement theory” in late May 2022, a Twitter screenshot on Imgur attributed a quote to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), addressing white supremacy by saying that the government
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Keanu Reeves Work As a Reporter Covering a Teddy Bear Convention?
A glimpse of actor Keanu Reeve’s first media jobs spread online once again in May 2022, thanks to a movie podcast. The show, “All The Right Movies,” posted a clip of Reeves’ work as a correspondent for the CBC Television program