A May 2 2022 tweet by Sen. Bernie Sanders — asserting that Congress “must act” to codify Roe v. Wade — was widely popular on Twitter and shared at least three times to Imgur the following day: Sanders tweeted the same text twic
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Sorry I Stole Your Car … Drove to Vinnytsia’ Ukraine
On May 2 2022, an Imgur user shared a photograph of a vehicle and a strangely heartwarming story about an individual apologizing because they “stole” a car — only to learn that the owner had left the keys in the ignition to help other
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘ … 4/25/1886: The New York Times Called the Eight-Hour Workday Movement “Un-American”‘
On May 2 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a tweet which claimed that on April 25 1886, the New York Times called the eight-hour workday movement “un-American,” and “blamed the ‘labor disturbances’ on ‘for
Truth or Fiction?→ Ulta Kate Spade Email Controversy
On May 2 2022, myriad social media accounts posted about an unfortunate Ulta/Kate Spade promotion, with horrified postings to Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit about a poorly-conceived email: Should they have thought before sending out an email
Truth or Fiction?→ Not Just Freshii: U.S. Restaurant Chains Have Tested Outsourcing Cashiers for Years
While it quickly attracted attention online in April 2022, the introduction of “Virtual cashiers” in a string of grocery stores in Canada is only the latest iteration of companies testing the idea of outsourcing customer-service functions.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘You Remember The Real America if You Can Remember…’
On April 28 2022, the Facebook page “Vagina Devil Magic” shared an image of a “You Remember the Real America” handbill, dated June 1980 and featuring eerily familiar political sentiments — 42 years later. The text on the f
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Moscow Summons Croatian Military Attaché to Hand in a Protest Note … He Simply Refuses to Take it. Legend’
On April 28 2022, an Imgur user shared a meme, purportedly showing a Croatian attaché in the act of refusing a note in an act of protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: A photograph at the bottom of the image showed two men and one woman.
Truth or Fiction?→ South Dakota Teacher Calvin Hillesland Investigated for Note to Transgender Students
On April 27 2022, an Imgur user shared screenshots of a tweet with a photo that purportedly depicted a letter from a South Dakota teacher to transgender students: South Dakota. Zero days without being a national embarrassment. Local teacher at the h
Truth or Fiction?→ Jim Carrey ‘Solitude is Dangerous’ Quote
On April 26 2022, an Imgur user shared a meme that attributed a quote to actor Jim Carrey about “solitude” being “addictive”: Underneath a photograph of Carrey, text read: “Solitude is dangerous. It’s very addictive. It be
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Amount Elon Musk Just Paid for Twitter ($44 Billion) is Nearly Equal to Biden’s Proposed Climate Budget ($44.9 Billion)’
On April 27 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of a viral tweet claiming the amount of money Elon Musk would purportedly pay in order to acquire Twitter was nearly equal to funds allocated in the Biden administration’s proposed climate budge
Truth or Fiction?→ Los Angeles County Sheriff Announces Plans to ‘Investigate’ Journalist Over Articles
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has announced plans to target a journalist for an “investigation” over her reporting on their treatment of a man in custody. Conspiracy theory-slinging Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villan
Truth or Fiction?→ Jason Miller’s ‘Antifa Narrative’ Capitol Insurrection Texts
On April 26 2022, a viral screenshot of a tweet purportedly showed the content of a text message in which Jason Miller, advisor to former United States President Donald Trump, suggested blaming anti-fascist protestors for the deadly Capitol insurrect
Truth or Fiction?→ Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ‘Peaceful Transfer of Power’ Testimony
On April 26 2022, screenshots spread of a viral tweet claiming that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) inadvertently insisted that a statement objecting to a “peaceful transfer of power” be entered into evidence during an April 22 20
Truth or Fiction?→ Atlanta AirBnB Rules
On April 25 2022, various social media groups published a screenshot of a tweet describing purported AirBnB rules introduced in Atlanta, Georgia in April 2022: I personally loved the new rules ATL put into place for Airbnbs in April. – You ca
Truth or Fiction?→ Brooklyn Public Library Grants Teens Across America Access
On April 24 2022, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared another page’s Twitter screenshot from @Goodable, in a post about the Brooklyn Public Library purportedly granting teenaged readers access to uncensored material: The Brooklyn
Truth or Fiction?→ Tennessee Drunk Driving Child Support Bill
On April 22 2022, posts on Imgur and Reddit alluded to a purported new bill in Tennessee requiring “drunk drivers” to pay child support if their actions led to the death of a parent of a minor child or children: A post was published by a n
Truth or Fiction?→ Florida, Disney, and Taxes
On April 21 2022, several news organizations reported that Florida revoked Disney’s tax status in retaliation for the company’s position on the “Don’t Say Gay” (formally called the Parental Rights in Education) bill —
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is What a Dial Up Modem Connection Looks Like on the Spectrogram (DTMF Handshake and Call)
On April 21 2022, an Imgur account shared video of what was apparently a visual representation of “what a dial up modem connection looks like on the spectrogram,” a post that evoked nostalgia for those who populated the early internet: Thi
Truth or Fiction?→ Were ‘More Than 1,000,000,000’ Immigrants Arrested at the U.S. Border in Six Months?
A right-wing congresswoman from Arizona posted — then quickly deleted — a tweet attempting to whip up anti-immigrant sentiment while also failing at math. “Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 1,000,000,000 migrants at our
Truth or Fiction?→ Newsmax ‘Black Conservatives’ Screenshot
On April 20 2022, a purported Newsmax “Black conservatives” Twitter screenshot circulated on Imgur and Reddit: TIL Ben is considered to be a traitor from benshapiro One of the Reddit iterations appeared on r/ToiletP
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Minnesota Man Arrested for Death Party’
On April 19 2022, Imgur power user OctopussSevenTwo shared a purported news screenshot, which reported that a Minnesota man had been charged for throwing a “death party” in honor of his ailing wife. That same day, a user shared a slightly d
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This Fukang Meteorite is 4.5 Billion Years Old’
The journey of a rare type of meteorite to Earth has continued online, albeit with the details fudged over time. In this case, the Fukang Meteorite (named after the Chinese town where it was discovered) has become a recurring meme online. In many itera
Truth or Fiction?→ LibsOfTikTok ‘Doxxed’ Controversy
On April 19 2022, Washington Post writer Taylor Lorenz’s profile of the @LibsOfTikTok account was published — followed by intense discourse about whether the subject of the piece was “doxxed” by the outlet. Early that morning, L
Truth or Fiction?→ No, a Man Wasn’t Awarded $450K Over an ‘Unwanted Birthday Party’
On April 18 2022, a significant part of online discussions focused on a man who was purportedly awarded $450,000 for an “unwanted birthday party.” An April 16 2022 tweet by @SaycheeseDGTL summarized the claim, claiming that a Kentucky man s
Truth or Fiction?→ Florida Judge Kathryn Mizelle Overturns CDC’s Public Transportation Mask Mandate
On April 18 2022, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle vacated a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mask mandate for public transportation, a reversal with broad implications. Forbes was one of the first outlets to cover the ruling, prefacing the
Truth or Fiction?→ AriZona Iced Tea Inflation Meme
On April 18 2022, a popular Facebook post from “The Other 98%,” concerning AriZona Iced Tea’s unchanging price tag (USD$0.99) and ongoing discourse regarding inflation, was shared to Imgur: Most of the meme was text-based, but it f
Truth or Fiction?→ Gilbert Gottfried Trump is Like ‘Hitler Without the Warmth’ Quote
On April 14 2022, an Imgur account shared a quote meme attributed recently deceased comedian Gilbert Gottfried, comparing former U.S. President Donald Trump to “Hitler without the warmth”: That post wasn’t the only piece of Trump-re
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Damaged Russian Warship Moskva the ‘Snake Island’ Ship?
On April 14 2022, several Imgur posts referenced the Russian warship Moskva — typically in conversations related to an earlier incident on Snake Island and discussions around conflicting claims about whether it “sank” after coming und
Truth or Fiction?→ Right-Wing Lawmakers Take Up Spreading Fake ‘Students Identify as Cats’ Rumors
Amid the latest wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation around the United States, right-wing candidates and social media boards are pushing a separate type of disinformation to gin up concerns that local students are “identifying as cats.” In a rece
Truth or Fiction?→ Loren Culp Facebook ‘Unpublishing’ Tweet
On April 11 2022, Washington state candidate Loren Culp tweeted a screenshot of a purported warning from Facebook, claiming that this was proof that the social network planned to “unpublish” his page: Just before my primary election in ab
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘It’s Day 47: Ukraine Has Now Lasted Longer Than France Did in World War II’
On April 13 2022, a Reddit screenshot suggesting that Ukraine “lasted longer than France did in World War II,” in terms of how long the European country has been resisting Russia’s invasion, made its way across platforms: That post
Truth or Fiction?→ Republicans ‘Stormed Out in Anger’ After Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmation
On April 12 2022, prolific Imgur user Lanhdanan shared a screenshot of a tweet by Brian Tyler Cohen, asserting that Republicans “stormed out in anger” after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the United States Supreme Court ear
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Mayor of North Pole, Alaska is a Man Who Legally Changed His Name to Santa Claus … He’s Now Running for Congress Against Sarah Palin.’
On April 12 2022 an Imgur user shared a screenshot of the following tweet about a purported candidate from Alaska challenging a full plate of hopefuls, including former governor Sarah Palin (R), for a seat in Congress: The mayor of North Pole, Alaska
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Landlord’s Game’ and Monopoly’s Origins
On April 4 2022, a Facebook user shared an image and a post about The Landlord’s Game, on which popular board game Monopoly was purportedly based. Alongside two images of The Landlord’s Game, the author explained similarities and differen
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rod Serling Warn of ‘a Sickness Known as Hate’?
A warning from a dimension “not only of sight and sound but of mind” resonated across Twitter in April 2022, thanks to a post from the daughter of the man who created it. Anne Serling, whose father Rod created the seminal anthology series &
Truth or Fiction?→ Russian Racer Competing Under Italian Flag Gave Nazi Salute on Podium
A Russian race car driver attracted international notice in April 2022 after apparently demonstrating a Nazi salute on stage following a race, then laughing: An investigation has been launched into the “unacceptable conduct” of a Russian junior
Truth or Fiction?→ Thurgood Marshall Confirmation Vote vs. Ketanji Brown Jackson
On April 7 2022, the Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. CNN reported on the historic confirmation: The Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday [A[ril 7 2022] in a hi
Truth or Fiction?→ Disney Protests
On April 6 2022, a small but loud group of people showed up at Disney headquarters in Burbank, California to protest a vague swath of claims about the theme park “grooming” children. Local news station KTTV attempted to interpret the Disney
Truth or Fiction?→ Russian Mobile Crematoriums
On April 7 2022, an Imgur post claimed that Russian “mobile crematoriums” had been deployed in Ukraine, specifically to conceal the high number of civilian casualties at the hands of Russian forces: Across an image of bombed out apartment
Truth or Fiction?→ Three Things to Remember About That Study of Fox Viewers Who Watched CNN
A report published in April 2022 showing short-term effects (thus far) in viewers of the right-wing Fox network as greeted with widespread coverage and, in some cases, familiar distortions of its findings. In the study by David E. Broockman and Joshua