A long-rumored “second stimulus” check of $600 was announced on December 21 2020 and widely deemed to be paltry to the point of insulting; not long after that, a screengrab of a chart labeled “Stimulus Pork” began spreading on
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ Far Right News Organizations Issue Statements, Admit ‘No Evidence’ Exists to Support Wall-to-Wall Coverage of Election Fraud
Far right propaganda purveyors like Newsmax, One America News Network, and certain Fox personalities became hot topics after the November 3 2020 election, when they captured a significant number of former Fox News viewers thanks to their regular ̶
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Giulia Tofana Was an Italian Professional Poisoner … Famous for Selling Poison to Women Who Wanted to Murder Their Abusive Husbands’
A popular December 16 2020 post by the Facebook page “Beauty is Inside” discussed Giulia Tofana, a purported “Italian professional poisoner,” who became historically significant for selling a poison called “Aqua Tofana
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Vanity and Greed’: Despite Disinformation Crises, Facebook Continues Making Inroads Into Major Newsrooms
Despite years of scrutiny now yielding a whole slew of lawsuits — such as those announced in the United States, Australia, and Germany in late 2020 — Facebook is continuing to pursue partnerships with news organizations, despite major c
Truth or Fiction?→ Biden ‘Stepped Up Basis’ Facebook Post
In December 2020, a number of Facebook users shared a post about U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden and “stepped up basis,” a very vague term with which few users were likely to already be familiar. The same text was circulating as early as O
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘BREAKING: State of Georgia Issues Huge Announcement, Will Conduct Statewide Signature Audit’
On December 17 2020, right-wing disinformation site TrendingPolitics.com published an item titled “BREAKING: State of Georgia Issues Huge Announcement, Will Conduct Statewide Signature Audit,” which began: In a shocking announcement, the G
Truth or Fiction?→ Is EO 13848 Trump’s ‘Ace in the Hole’ for Election Challenges?
As political disinformation about the 2020 election continued into December 2020, its purveyors turned to Executive Order 13848 — more precisely, claims that EO 13848 existed to ensure that U.S. President Donald Trump would remain in power for a
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Trump Campaign Planning a Second Inauguration?
A suspicious screenshot grabbed Twitter users’ attention on December 17 2020, making some think that outgoing President Donald Trump and his campaign intended to continue denying his loss in the U.S. presidential elections into the new year. The
Truth or Fiction?→ Former Houston Police Captain Arrested, Allegedly Paid $266,400 by ‘Liberty Center for God and Country’ to ‘Investigate Electoral Fraud’
In an unnerving example of how disinformation can erupt into the real world, former Houston police captain Mark Aguirre was arrested on December 15 2020 in connection with a strange, sprawling conspiracy theory involving political megadonors and fanta
Truth or Fiction?→ Dominion Voting Systems and the SolarWinds Vulnerability, Explained
On December 15 2020, a popular post was shared to the far-right forum TheDonald.win. Its topic was included in its title, “Dominion CEO states in MI hearing that Dominion has never used Solarwinds. Pro tip: If you’re gonna remove the Solarwin
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a ‘Firefly’ Reboot Coming To Disney+?
On December 15 2020, rumors of a purported Disney+ Firefly “reboot” that was refashioned to be “family-friendly” spread on social media, with fans of the show registering opinions about the what that might mean: We have ex
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Tweets About ‘Fake Water Main Break’ on Election Night in Georgia
As electors of the gathered on December 14 2020 in order to finalize the incoming Joe Biden administration, sitting U.S. President Donald Trump continued advancing baseless claims that his decisive loss in the 2020 election was fraudulent, claimingÂ
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Michigan State Police Block ‘Republican Electors’ From Entering the Courthouse?
As the U.S. Electoral College made it official — again — that outgoing United States President Donald Trump had lost his bid for re-election on December 14 2020, footage posted online showed an attempt to overturn the results with a group
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?→ Is Joe Biden’s Brother James Now Being Investigated by ‘the Feds’?
On December 11 2020, a dubious right wing blog called ThePoliticalInsider.com published an item (“Joe Biden’s Brother Is Being Investigated By The Feds, New Report Says”) which claimed that new information had come to light about the pur
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Schumer and Pelosi ‘Shoot Down’ a COVID Relief Bill and $600 Checks for Americans?
As the global COVID-19 pandemic closed in on its first year, calls in the United States for second stimulus checks mounted in December 2020, the dubious right-wing blog DailyWire.com published an item (“Schumer, Pelosi Shoot Down Trump Covid Rel
Truth or Fiction?→ Does London Christmas Tree Rental Enable People to Borrow a Sustainable Christmas Tree?
On December 10 2020, the Facebook page “Wholesome Meets The Internet” shared an undated Twitter screenshot with information about a London Christmas tree rental company, and its purportedly sustainable model of lending out live Christmas
Truth or Fiction?→ Will the Northern Lights Be Visible in the Continental United States in December 2020?
On December 9 2020, “Northern Lights” trended on Twitter, due in part to scattered reports that the phenomena might be visible to some Americans: Look up! https://t.co/XGQ3Rl1mYc — Thrillist (@Thrillist) December 9, 2020 Twitter h
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Deadliest Days in American History’ Meme
In early December 2020, a meme began circulating titled “Deadliest Days in American History,” a sobering list of individual dates on which mass casualty events in the United States led to large losses of life — and four of the eight
Truth or Fiction?→ Would $50,000 of Student Debt Forgiveness Be a ‘Massive Tax Increase’ for Americans?
On December 8 2020, The Blaze published an article headlined, “Schumer: Biden ‘considering’ cancelation of $50K in student loan debt for every borrower making under $125K a year,” with the subheading, “Translation: A mass
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Louie Gohmert’s Tooth Fall Out During a Press Conference?
Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert became instant online fodder (again) on December 8 2020, after a news site posted footage showing one of the Texas lawmaker’s teeth falling out as he spoke. The brief clip from The Recount showed his tooth coming lo
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Named Goya’s ‘Employee of the Month’?
On December 7 2020, right-wing “personality” Candace Owens (among others) asserted that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) was selected as “employee of the month” at Goya because her calls to boycott the brand purport
Truth or Fiction?→ No, Rudy Giuliani Didn’t Say People Got ‘China Virus’ by ‘Having Sex with Barnyard Animals’
On December 6 2020, news broke that Rudy Giuliani — the former New York City mayor, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, and post-election spectacle — tested positive for COVID-19. Almost immediately, screenshots of a purported tweet by G
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Video Expose Democrats ‘Planning to Cheat’ in Georgia?
A right-wing radio talk show host’s website appropriated and misrepresented an actual reporter’s work involving a Republican-supporting attorney in Florida, offering an excellent object lesson into the way disinformation can be perpetuated
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘RubyFreeman_Georgia’ Instagram Post
On December 5 2020, a screenshot of an Instagram post began circulating around the usual far-right fringe forums, attributed to a woman named Ruby Freeman (@rubyfreeman_georgia): An admission of election fraud by Ruby Freeman, DemocRAT vote counter
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You Buy a Discounted Advent Calendar the Day After Christmas, It Will Count Down to Inauguration Day’
On December 3 2020, a Facebook post proposed a novel use for obsolete Advent calendars — namely, repurposing them for a new countdown to President-Elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day: That post was a screenshot of a December 1 2020 tweet
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Joe Biden Say if He Disagreed with Kamala Harris, He’d Fake an Illness and Resign?
On December 4 2020, a number of pundits and websites breathlessly reported on remarks made by President-Elect Joe Biden, in which he purportedly said that if he fundamentally disagreed with Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, he would “develop s
Truth or Fiction?→ How to Fight Disinformation — Part I: Firehosing
This is part of an ongoing series about how communities can fight back and protect themselves against weaponized disinformation. Any anthropologist can tell you that human lives are created, bounded, and defined by stories: the stories we tell ourselv
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Never Forget: Nancy Pelosi Rejected Trump’s Offer for Direct Stimulus Checks Two Months Ago’
On December 3 2020, a tweet by @thebradfordfile was shared to TheDonald.win, accusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of having “rejected Trump’s offer for direct stimulus checks two months ago,” which placed the purported action in Septe
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Squirrels Land Like Superheroes When They Jump?
The “science of cute” collided with animal behavioral science on social media in a major way after a post about squirrels went viral. “The best thing I’ve learned this week is that when squirrels fall/jump — they land like su
Truth or Fiction?→ Mellissa Carone, Dominion Subcontractor, Goes Viral After Bizarre Michigan ‘Hearing’ Appearance
On December 2 2020, video of “a drunk woman” acting as a witness for purported and nonexistent election fraud went viral, due in part to the following tweet: a drunk woman is trump team’s star witness in michigan pic.twitter.com/qGxEI3
Truth or Fiction?→ Neera Tanden Didn’t Tweet ‘Hitler Was Certainly Controversial But No One Gives Him Proper Credit for Fighting to the Death Against Communism’
On December 1 2020, a fabricated tweet attributed to Neera Tanden began circulating, which read, “Hitler was certainly controversial but nobody gives him proper credit for fighting to the death against Communism”: .@neeratanden, WHAT pic
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Here’s a Postage Stamp to Help You Out Financially’
A tenant advocacy group’s gesture toward members in Bellingham, Washington was distributed online in late November 2020 but misconstrued as a disingenuous bit of “kindness” by an unscrupulous landlord. Photographs of the envelope, wh
Truth or Fiction?→ Special Forces Did Not Raid a ‘CIA Server Farm’ in Frankfurt to Seize Dominion Servers
In November and December 2020, following Donald Trump’s resounding loss by millions of votes in the presidential election to Joe Biden, rumors spread by those trying to cope with their loss centered around persistent and increasingly ludicrous c
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Candace Owens Win a Huge Lawsuit Against Facebook Fact-Checkers?
A November 29 2020 TheScoop.us item bearing the headline “Candace Owens Wins Huge Lawsuit Against Biased Liberal Facebook Fact-Checkers” made a titular claim that Owens successfully sued Facebook’s third-party fact-checkers, although
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘My Wife Has Cancer’ Reddit Comment Spreads Virally, Prompts Discussion of American Healthcare System
A November 30 2020 post to Reddit’s r/awfuleverything spread virally across platforms, prompting discussions all over social media about u/binkybrain’s original comment and the cost of cancer care in the United States: Poor guy
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Twitter Suspend Bobby Piton, an ‘Election Whistleblower,’ to Prevent People ‘Understanding His Testimony’?
On November 30 2020, the name “Bobby Piton” became a trending topic on social media following a “hearing” at an Arizona Hyatt hotel about Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Piton was not mentioned by
Truth or Fiction?→ Did an Italian Singer Score a Hit Song Using ‘Nonsense’ English Lyrics?
A decades-old cross-cultural hit by Adriano Celentano and Celeste Mori was brought back to light both in the U.S. and the pair’s native Italy in November 2020, thanks to social media and a Scottish artist. Harriet Mould found herself becoming co
Truth or Fiction?→ Oregon Health Nurse on ‘Administrative Leave’ After Tiktok About Not Wearing Masks or Social Distancing
In late November 2020, stories appeared about a viral TikTok video by account @Loveiskind05 leading to a nurse at Oregon’s Salem Health being placed on administrative leave: Nurse put on leave in Oregon after TikTok video mocking coro
Truth or Fiction?→ Did James Woods Play Rudy Giuliani in a Movie?
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani’s embarrassing November 2020 continued apace after social media users discovered a clip from what could charitably be called a flattering portrayal of him from nearly two decades earlier. The scene, taken