A self-proclaimed “health activist” with a history of incurring warnings over his practices from the federal government used Twitter to push another questionable treatment idea involving COVID-19 (also called SARS-CoV-2 or “the coron
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the CDC Order All Deaths Be Recorded as a Result of COVID-19 — Even Heart Attacks and Accidents?
In April 2020, a conspiracy theory spread on Facebook and Twitter which maintained that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explicitly ordered that all deaths in the United States, regardless of their true cause, be attributed to t
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Choose’ or ‘Pick’ Your ‘Quarantine House’ and Other Engagement Bait During COVID-19
Chances are in early April 2020 you saw many “choose your quarantine house” or “pick your quarantine house” memes on social media, the global pandemic version of “would you live in a cabin with no wifi for a month for a m
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a Photograph of Someone’s Kitchen After Microwaving Coronavirus Masks?
On April 7 2020 — in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — a post began spreading on Facebook, warning people against microwaving face masks to sterilize them (alongside a photograph of the aftermath of a kitchen fire): Please don’t pass
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Bernie Sanders Say ‘I Will Never Tell You How to Vote, If I Do, Don’t Listen to Me’?
On April 13 2020, former presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden, causing memes and tweets that attributed a quote to Sanders (“I will never tell you how to vote. If I do, don’t listen to me”) to recirc
Truth or Fiction?→ Coronavirus ‘Memo from a Grocery Store Manager’
An April 7 2020 Facebook post — purportedly a message from an overworked grocery store manager — racked up over half a million shares in just a few days. The post, accompanied by an image of (what looked to be pre-COVID-19 pandemic) superm
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Swiss Town Project the Union Jack Onto the Matterhorn to Show COVID-19 Solidarity?
In early April 2020, images of the United Kingdom’s flag projected onto the Matterhorn began circulating — striking photographs that appeared to perhaps be of questionable veracity: The town of #Zermatt in #Switzerland projecting the Un
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Using the ‘African Method’ Help Avoid Contracting COVID-19?
Stories about people beating COVID-19 through “traditional” remedies continue to spread online in spite of warnings from health officials. For example, a post from news site NewsOne features what it claims is a “viral video.”
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘COVID-19 Had Us All Fooled, but Now We Might Have Finally Found Its Secret’ Medium Post
In early April 2020, a post published to Medium.com circulated on social media, titled “Covid-19 had us all fooled, but now we might have finally found its secret.” The post went viral in archived and replicated form even after the site re
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Bans on Plastic Shopping Bags Being Reversed Because of COVID-19?
Citing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least three states took steps to walk back bans on plastic shopping bags, while environmental advocacy groups accused the plastics industry of seizing on the virus for their own purposes. In late March 20
Truth or Fiction?→ Did SCOTUS Rule Trump Can Remove Chuck Schumer from the Senate?
In early April 2020, an apparent article headlined “SCOTUS Rules Trump Can Remove Chuck Schumer from Senate” circulated through individual Facebook posts and groups. One iteration was shared to the group “People for the secession of
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Elon Musk ‘Giving Away Bitcoins and Etherium’ on Twitter?
On April 8 2020, an unidentified hacker used both real and illegitimate accounts to pelt Twitter with posts and bogus screengrabs made up to resemble tech magnate Elon Musk’s account. First brought to light by reporter Mason Pelt, the apparent p
Truth or Fiction?→ Spanish Flu 1918 Family Portrait Shows Cat with Face Mask
In early April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised COVID-19 guidance and advised Americans to wear face masks, reviving interest in a viral photograph — purportedly a family portrait from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Joe Biden’s Campaign Hold a $2,800 ‘Virtual Fireside Chat’?
In early April 2020, rumors circulated that Joe Biden’s presidential campaign had scheduled a “virtual fireside chat,” charging $2,800 for any donors wishing to access a livestream of the event: Joe Biden asking for $2800-$25,000
Truth or Fiction?→ Does H.R. 5717 Require That Gun Owners Be Licensed by the Government?
A graphic spreading online opposing a gun safety bill misconstrues its origin in an effort to paint it as an attempt at government overreach capitalizing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The meme, which contains a strange spacing gap resembling a copy-and-pa
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mammoth Unemployment Claims in Their Historical Context’ GIF
In early April 2020, the animated image below spread on Facebook and Twitter, bearing the label “U.S. Weekly Initial Jobless Claims (thousands, seasonally adjusted)”; no source for the shocking graph was immediately available. Blurry text
Truth or Fiction?→ Conspiracy Theorists, Celebrities Push Disinformation Blaming Cell Towers for COVID-19
As conspiracy theories — fanned in part by public figures — continue spreading, feeding into a feverish, misdirected blame leveled at mobile phone towers for the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities in Great Britain are investigating a spate o
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the President of Meharry Medical Advise Sterilizing Cloth Face Masks in the Microwave Between Uses?
Discourse regarding personal protective equipment (PPE, including cloth face masks) was a large part of COVID-19 discussion on social media in early April 2020, including a viral Facebook post that repeats purported advice to sterilize cloth masks by
Truth or Fiction?→ Is New York City Planning ‘Temporary Mass Graves’ in Central Park?
On April 6 2020, the New York Post claimed that New York City was considering “temporary mass graves” in public parks such as Central Park in an article bearing the headline, “NYC may temporarily bury coronavirus victims in parks:
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Make America Great Again’ Breathing Masks
On April 5 2020, social media was alight with speculation — some fond, some alarmed — at the prospect of what appeared to be a new addition to United States President Donald Trump’s merchandise line. The rumor began on Twitter, whenÂ
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Jon Bon Jovi Photographed Washing Dishes Inside a Restaurant?
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi attracted a new fan and new admiration online after a Facebook user shared his own testimonial praising the singer and entrepreneur for putting in work to help others amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In his March 27 2020 post, Garry
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the United States’ Strategic National Stockpile Website Altered After Remarks by Jared Kushner?
Journalists and social media users alike keyed on to a change to a government website after heavily-criticized remarks by presidential advisor Jared Kushner. On April 2 2020, Kushner was discussing the use of the Strategic National Stockpile as part o
Truth or Fiction?→ Are COVID-19 Patients With High BMIs Being Denied Ventilators?
As the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic became more omnipresent in American life in mid-March 2020, Twitter and Instagram rumors about coronavirus patients with high body mass indices being denied ventilator treatment began to spread. On Twitter on March
Truth or Fiction?→ Do You Have to Request a COVID-19 Forbearance for Student Loans?
Social media users’ concern over their student loans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic found themselves dealing with conflicting information — even from the agencies. Prior to the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Se
Truth or Fiction?→ EMS Workers in New York City, Long Island, Receive Orders Not to Transport Patients Who Cannot Be Resuscitated in the Field
In early April 2020, alarming news spread across social media — that Emergency Medical Services teams in New York City and on Long Island were given orders not to transport any patients who could not be resuscitated in the field: Just heard a
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a Homophobic Church Group Running a COVID-19 Clinic in New York City?
A mobile clinic erected in New York City to help residents infected by COVID-19 (a.k.a. the “coronavirus”) is not only run by radical homophobic cleric Franklin Graham, it is requiring volunteer workers to express support for an anti-LGBTQ
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dr. Fauci Predict a Serious Pandemic During Trump’s Presidency — in 2017?
White House Coronavirus Task Force lead member Dr. Anthony Fauci was a widely familiar face throughout the coronavirus pandemic (due in part to what many perceived as a soberingly honest approach to the crisis), and by late March 2020, Fauci was rumor
Truth or Fiction?→ Andrew Cuomo’s Pierced Nipples, Explained
On March 31 2020, a bored-in-quarantine internet turned its attention to a state governor getting national attention, and decided a photograph showed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “pierced nipples.” A post to Reddit’s r/TIHI (“than
Truth or Fiction?→ Should You Make a No-Sew Coronavirus Mask During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
In late March 2020, do-it-yourself and no-sew coronavirus masks were a hot topic — but not before the subject of COVID-19 and face masks became confusing and contentious. Before COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic on March 11 2020, offic
Truth or Fiction?→ USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort Dock in Cities for Coronavirus Response
Amid jarring scenes of metropolitan hospitals dangerously strained by COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic, two naval hospital ships (the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy) were docked in New York City and Los Angeles respectively in late March 2020
Truth or Fiction?→ The COVID-19 Chloroquine Controversy, Explained
On March 30 2020, a number of outlets reported that the Food and Drug Administration had given a limited go-ahead for the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in medical settings in the latest development in what has become a bizarrely (but not e
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Florida Residents Spotted Packing Beaches During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A photograph of beachgoers ignoring social distancing guidelines concerning the COVID-19 pandemic prompted local officials to close their gathering place to the public. The photo, attributed to Clay Archer of Jacksonville Beach, was shared thousands o
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a $1,200 Coronavirus Stimulus an Advance on 2020’s Tax Credit — or a Loan You Have to Pay Back in 2021?
In the early evening of March 27 2020, news that Americans would receive COVID-19 stimulus checks of $1,200 or higher was a flashpoint of discussion in the reporting of the passage of the the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also
Truth or Fiction?→ Was There a ‘March to End COVID-19’ in Cleveland?
A social media user playing on real-world ignorance over the COVID-19 pandemic succeeded in making a stir on March 26 2020 with a photograph he claimed at the time was an ill-advised gathering. The user’s post, which has been shared more than 6,
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Yelp and GoFundMe Create COVID-19 Fundraisers for Restaurants Without Telling Them?
A push from business owners forced two tech companies to modify an unprompted response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Andy McMillan, owner of a bar in Portland, Oregon — where bars and restaurants were ordered to close down as part of efforts to slow
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the President of the United States Tell Governors Seeking Ventilators That Favors Are ‘a Two-Way Street’?
In late March 2020, a quote attributed to United States President Donald Trump involving various state governors and access to ventilators began spread in the form of several text-based status update memes: One of the shares appeared on the page
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Canadian Government Giving Citizens $2,000 a Month Because of COVID-19?
On March 25 2020, social media users quickly drew comparisons between the help Canadian citizens are receiving from their government and a bill passed in the U.S. Senate. On Twitter, the comparison was spread most heavily in a tweet shared more than 1
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a ‘Coronavirus Challenge’ on Social Media Prompting Teens to Infect Themselves With COVID-19?
Amid wall-to-wall reporting on a novel coronavirus and COVID-19 in late March 2020, articles breathlessly claimed that a “coronavirus challenge” or “COVID-19 challenge” was spreading on platforms like TikTok and Twitter, inciti
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Gerrity’s Store Discard $35,000 of Food After a Woman ‘Coughed’ on It During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
On March 26 2020, a number of social media posts involved a woman in Pennsylvania who allegedly “coughed” on $35,000 worth of food — forcing a Gerrity’s store to discard all of the items: “Grocery store Gerrity’s Supermar
Truth or Fiction?→ Are Los Angeles Police Conducting ‘Spot Checks’ on ‘Non-Essential’ Driving?
A social media dispute broke out around comedian Ashley Ray on March 25 2020, after she posted what she called an advisory for people venturing outside in Los Angeles amid the city’s stay-in-place order to limit spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.