During a televised address to the nation about the COVID-19 pandemic, United States President Donald Trump was caught twice unaware that he was being recorded. Before beginning the March 11 2020 address, Trump could be heard saying, “A what? Oh
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ Is There a COVID-19 ‘Loophole’ in Blood Donations?
For a brief period of time, a Twitter user’s admittedly “bold and brash” — but wrong — idea about a “loophole” allowing people more access to testing for COVID-19 got widespread traction on the platform. On Ma
Truth or Fiction?→ COVID-19 in Toilet Paper Meme
Around March 9 2020, a meme joking about “COVID-19 found in toilet paper” began spreading on Imgur, Facebook, Twitter, and other sites: On what looked like a screengrab of a news site or television news, text read: Breaking News COVID-19
Truth or Fiction?→ Unsourced ‘Intensivist’ Thread Spreads on Twitter as COVID-19 Hits Italy
In March 2020, as more nations grappled with a novel coronavirus pandemic, social media users continued to promote unsourced chain-letter “messages” online as people searched for reliable and credible information. One of the latest instanc
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘A Cry from Italy’: ‘Heart of Coronavirus’ Outbreak Facebook Post
On March 10 2020, screenshots of a “cry from Italy” attributed to a doctor in Bergamo appeared on several platforms; one iteration on Imgur was viewed more than 100,000 times in just half a day as people searched for reliable information a
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Searches for International Men’s Day Peak on International Women’s Day?
On March 7 2020, one day before International Women’s Day, @the_female_lead tweeted a screenshot claiming that there is also an International Men’s Day — but searches for the latter spiked around International Women’s Day every
Truth or Fiction?→ AOC Did Not Say the ‘Only Reason Trump is Keeping His Promises is to Infuence the Outcome’ of the 2020 Election
In late January 2020, memes circulated on Twitter claiming that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) said that “the “nly reason President Trump is keeping his campaign promises is to influence the outcome of the 2020 election”:
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Joe Biden Say He Would Veto a ‘Medicare for All’ Bill?
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was criticized in March 2020 following an interview with MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell as he faced accusations of intending to veto a bill expanding Medicare services for all Americans. The exchange fr
Truth or Fiction?→ If You Misspell BernieSanders.com as BernieSander.com, Do You Get Redirected to a Donation Page for the Biden Campaign?
On March 10 2020, a Twitter user shared a Reddit thread about a purported redirect from “BernieSander.com” (versus “BernieSanders.com”) to a campaign donation page for Joe Biden: No matter what you think about Bernie/Biden
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘World of Warcraft’ Once Hit by a Virus That Was Subsequently Studied by Researchers?
As the COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus disease) continued to spread in March 2020, social media users flashed back to a “pandemic” that unfolded nearly 20 years earlier — but this one took place entirely in the virtual world. According to
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Washington, DC Priest Expose Hundreds of Churchgoers to Coronavirus?
On March 9 2020, WJLA-TV reporter Sam Sweeney tweeted about a Washington, DC priest’s purported positive coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis, adding that the clergy man led Communion services and shook hands with “more than 500” churchg
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Quarantined Kids in in Wuhan Defeat a Homework App by Spamming it With One-Star Reviews?
In a tweet which became a Facebook post, @zenalbatross reported that Wuhan’s clever schoolchildren “defeated the app assigning them homework” by spamming it with one-star reviews to trigger its deletion from an app store: good morn
Truth or Fiction?→ Statement from a Quarantined Kaiser Nurse in California
On March 6 2020, an Imgur post with the title “Thank god for unions, but damn” appeared, purportedly showing a statement “by a quarantined nurse from a northern California Kaiser facility”: The statement was dated March 5 2020
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Rep. Bobby Rush Removed From the House Floor for Wearing a Hoodie?
After Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) donned a gas mask while Congress debated a bill securing emergency funding to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the United States and beyond, one of his colleagues rebuked both him and an apparent set of
Truth or Fiction?→ 2001 ‘Good Day New York’ On-Air Argument Gets New Life Online
In another instance of social media reviving interest in the media that preceded it, social media users re-discovered in March 2020 a clip that first made headlines after airing on WNYW-TV nearly 20 years earlier. One iteration of the clip featuring G
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Joe Biden Vote for a Bankruptcy Bill Which Made Student Loans ‘Ineligible for Financial Relief’?
A March 5 2020 r/SandersForPresident (and r/all) thread featured a title maintaining that Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden “passed the bill” making student loans “ineligible for financial relief,” and an attach
Truth or Fiction?→ Man Displays Nazi Banner at Bernie Sanders Rally
During a March 5 2020 Bernie Sanders rally in Arizona, an individual seated in the venue unrolled a large Nazi banner as Sanders spoke: In the above photograph, a smiling Sanders faced away from the banner. Video captured from a different perspecti
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump Call Sean Hannity and Tell People with Coronavirus to Go to Work Anyway?
On March 5 2020, the Facebook page “Crooks and Liars” shared an article bearing the headline, “Trump Calls Up Hannity, Tells People With Covid-19 To Go To Work”: Underneath an embedded video, the site claimed: In just over
Truth or Fiction?→ Corona Beer Didn’t Offer $10 Million to Change the Name ‘Coronavirus’ to ‘Literally Anything Else’ or ‘BudLightVirus’
On March 5 2020, a highly-upvoted r/funny and r/all post displayed the following headline: “Corona beer offers $10 million to change the name Coronavirus to “literally anything else” and an extra $15 million to change it to BudLightv
Truth or Fiction?→ Did MSNBC Switch Colors for “Favorable” and “Unfavorable” for Only Bernie Sanders in a Super Tuesday Chyron?
Super Tuesday reporting generated a lot of social media discourse in March 2020, and among circulating claims was one that network MSNBC manipulated their on-screen graphics by “swapping colors” for presidential candidates Bernie Sanders a
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Coronavirus Bill Stalled Because of Arguments Over How Much to Charge for Vaccines?
As negotiations in the United States government continued through March 3 2020 on a federal spending package to address the spread of the coronavirus strain known as COVID-19, Politico reported on negotiations stalling between Democratic and Republic
Truth or Fiction?→ Breaking Down The COVID-19 ‘Friend’s Uncle’s Guidance’ Meme
As rumors quickly spread about purported myriad threats of a novel coronavirus strain known as COVID-19, a chain letter-style post purportedly containing medical advice about both the symptoms and treatments for the disease was spread heavily on Faceb
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Seattle Coronavirus Testing’ Twitter Thread
On March 2 2020, as six patients in Washington state were reported to have died of a novel coronavirus, a Twitter user going by @into_the_brush shared a thread about their purported attempts to be tested for the virus in Seattle. In the first tweet,
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Picasso Died in 1973, Surprising the Internet Every Year’
On March 1 2020, a Facebook user shared a Twitter screenshot about Pablo Picasso having died in 1973, which appeared somewhat in the style of “I was today years old when I learned” memes. On Facebook, the post racked up 40,000 shares and
Truth or Fiction?→ Conspiracy Theorists Help Spread Video Pushing Coronavirus ‘Live Cremation’ Claim
A video circulating online promoting the claim that coronavirus victims in China were being “cremated alive” was promoted by an organization employing disinformation specialist and white nationalist Steve Bannon. According to Politifact, t
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the CDC Stop Disclosing How Many People Were Tested for Coronavirus in the United States?
On March 2 2020, journalist Judd Legum published a tweet claiming that the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had been updated between March 1 and 2 2020, and that after the update the CDC was no longer disclosing the n
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Tax Brackets Explained’ Imgur Post
In late February 2020, an Imgur user shared a popular post on a popular topic (“tax brackets explained”), urging others to “help educate others” on how taxation supposedly works: Tax brackets explained. Help educate others! A
Truth or Fiction?→ Did 41 Democrats Vote Against ‘Protecting Already Born Babies’?
In February 2020, pundits and blogs launched a round of invective against Democratic Party lawmakers after a bill targeting healthcare providers fell short of garnering enough votes for debate on the Senate floor. The latest salvo followed a cloture v
Truth or Fiction?→ Would 38 Percent of Americans Not Buy Corona Beer over Coronavirus Fears?
On February 28 2020, CNN published a tweet reporting that a full 38 percent of Americans — more than a third — refused to drink Corona beer under any circumstances, due to fears of coronavirus: 38% of Americans wouldn't buy Corona be
Truth or Fiction?→ Did ‘Akira’ Predict a 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak?
On February 27 2020, a Facebook user shared the following meme about the 1988 anime classic Akira, the 2020 Olympics, and plot elements which were reportedly strangely prescient: A four-panel meme featured images on one side, text on the other. In s
Truth or Fiction?→ If Your Child is an Authorized User on Your Credit Card, Do They Automatically Start Out with an 800 Credit Score?
On February 18 2020, the Facebook page “Real Badass Moms” shared a screenshot of the following tweet, which advised people “with a credit card and a kid” to add their child as an authorized user on that card — an act that
Truth or Fiction?→ Did an MSNBC Commentator Say that Recent College Graduates Make ‘$75,000 a Year’?
On February 25 2020, a purported comment from MSNBC commentator Mike Barnicle on talk show Morning Joe netted him accusations of being out of touch with many Americans. Barnicle was not named in the tweet that prompted the accusation, which has been
Truth or Fiction?→ Public Enemy, Bernie Sanders Team Up for Rally in Los Angeles
On February 26 2020, Public Enemy’s official Facebook page announced a Bernie Sanders rally on March 1 2020 in Los Angeles — complete with a poster of Sanders about to drop a microphone: The text in the post read: The time is now! FIGHT
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Trump Call Obama’s Ebola Virus Response ‘a Total Joke’?
Shortly after United States President Donald Trump announced on February 26 2020 that he was naming Vice President Mike Pence to lead his administration’s response to the issue of novel coronavirus COVID-19, critics on social media pointed out y
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Mike Bloomberg Say Bernie Sanders Would Have Beaten Trump in 2016?
After the February 26 2020 Democratic debate, memes and Twitter screenshots circulated on Facebook which suggested that presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg said that Bernie Sanders — also running for president — would have beaten Unit
Truth or Fiction?→ Were #DemDebate Tickets Sold for $1,750 to $3,200?
On the night of the February 25 2020 Democratic debate, Twitter rumors appeared containing claims that tickets to the event in South Carolina were sold for amounts ranging between $1,750 and $3,200: JFC these debate tickets started at $1750. That
Truth or Fiction?→ Buttigieg Deletes Tweet Decrying ‘Nostalgia for the Revolutionary Politics of the 1960s’
During the February 25 2020 Democratic debate, Pete Buttigieg said that the United States “can’t afford a scenario where it comes down to Donald Trump with his nostalgia for the social order of the 1950’s and Bernie Sanders with his nost
Truth or Fiction?→ Rush Limbaugh Claims Coronavirus is No More Dangerous than the Common Cold. Is it?
In a transcript dated February 24 2020, radio personality Rush Limbaugh claimed that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is no more dangerous than “the common cold,” adding that he believed that concern over the new strain of disease was simply p
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Advisor Pushes Coronavirus Disinformation: ‘We Have Contained This’
Despite warnings at the federal level regarding the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in the United States, both U.S. President Donald Trump and one of his chief economic advisors have tried to push disinformation in downplaying the threat. During
Truth or Fiction?→ Rep. James Clyburn: Black People Were ‘Fully Employed During Slavery’ Controversy
In February 2020, a number of social media and blog posts claimed that House Majority Whip James Clyburn “refused to give credit” to United States President Donald Trump for low Black unemployment numbers, because Black Americans were