On April 17 2019, a Facebook post (archived here) began circulating, purporting to tell the tragic story (“they pushed her”) of a young girl named Carmen Winstead, as well as the fates of the classmates responsible for her death: They push
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ Were ‘Muslim Jihadis in Paris’ Arrested for Planning an Attack Three Days Before the Notre Dame Fire?
Soon after the April 15 2019 Notre Dame Cathedral fire broke out, Twitter user @FaithGoldy tweeted that the blaze occurred shortly after the arrest of “three Muslim jihadis” in Paris (archived here): Three days ago a Muslim jihadis in Par
Truth or Fiction?→ Santorini Holidays Facebook Giveaway Scam
Over a quarter of a million Facebook users have shared a purported giveaway shared by the page “Santorini Holidays” (archived here) in April 2019. A featured album of (admittedly beautiful) pictures is captioned as follows: We’re goi
Truth or Fiction?→ Notre Dame Cathedral Arson Rumors
News of a devastating fire at Paris’s famous Notre Dame cathedral on April 15 2019 created a flashpoint of global interest, followed by immediate rumors that the blaze was an act of arson or terror. On Twitter, a since-deleted tweet published by
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This Image Yellow Hat Firefighters Protesting in Spain?
On March 31 2019, an image (archived here) went viral on social media purportedly showing a “yellow hat” firefighter protest in Spain. Under an image of several men wearing only yellow hats and boots was a caption: Forget the yellow vests
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Dell Hospital Collecting Donations for a Young Assault Victim Named Maria?
A February 2016 Facebook post about Dell Children’s Hospital and a purported young rape victim (archived here) continued circulating several years after the fact. The post and its variations featured roughly the same all-caps text, with rotating
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Dell Hospital Collecting Donations for a Young Assault Victim Named Maria?
A February 2016 Facebook post about Dell Children’s Hospital and a purported young rape victim (archived here) continued circulating several years after the fact. The post and its variations featured roughly the same all-caps text, with rotating
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Flint Still Not Have Clean Water?
In April 2019, a July 2017 text-based status update (archived here) about a lack of clean water in Flint, Michigan continued making the rounds on social media. Across a blue sky background, white text read as follows: 1188 days still no clean water fo
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Flint Still Not Have Clean Water?
In April 2019, a July 2017 text-based status update (archived here) about a lack of clean water in Flint, Michigan continued making the rounds on social media. Across a blue sky background, white text read as follows: 1188 days still no clean water fo
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Sequencing Fish Samples’ Viral Twitter Thread
On April 6 2019, a screenshots (archived here) of a Twitter thread originally published by @AwesomeBioTA one day prior went viral on social media: In the original thread, the poster (@AwesomeBioTA) recounted the purported results of her class̵
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Sequencing Fish Samples’ Viral Twitter Thread
On April 6 2019, a screenshots (archived here) of a Twitter thread originally published by @AwesomeBioTA one day prior went viral on social media: In the original thread, the poster (@AwesomeBioTA) recounted the purported results of her class̵
Truth or Fiction?→ Is USPS Losing Money Because of a 2006 Pension Law?
On April 8 2019, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared a post (archived here) claiming that the United States Postal Service was mistakenly believed to be losing money thanks to online retailers like Amazon, when in actuality the shortfall
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This an Actual Photograph of a Black Hole?
On April 10 2019 the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) captured the first image of a black hole in history, making worldwide headlines: This is what a black hole looks like. A world-spanning network of telescopes called the Event Horizon Telescope zoomed
Truth or Fiction?→ Jordan Peele, Tim Burton, Woody Allen, Ridley Scott, and Racism in Casting
On March 31 2019, a Facebook user shared a screenshot (archived here) of a different Facebook post which dissected the purported race-related casting decisions made by Jordan Peele, Tim Burton, Woody Allen, and Ridley Scott: The original post seen
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Free Birth Control in Colorado Drop Unplanned Pregnancies by 40 Percent?
On March 31 2019, a Facebook user shared a meme (archived here) about the purported effects of “free birth control” in the state of Colorado: Across an image of mountain scenery, the meme (watermarked by The Other 98%) read: COLORADO HA
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Sen. Dianne Feinstein Say It’s Unfair That Smaller States Count as Much as California Because of the Electoral College?
On April 4 2019, this meme was posted to a Facebook group (archived here) with a purported quote by Sen. Dianne Feinstein about California and the United States’ electoral college. Text across a photograph of the California Democrat with a sup
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana Smell Like Popcorn?
On April 4 2019, the following warning appeared (archived here), containing the claim that marijuana smokers can detect fentanyl contamination by smell: In addition to its primary claim (that fentanyl-laced weed smells like popcorn), the post cont
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana Smell Like Popcorn?
On April 4 2019, the following warning appeared (archived here), containing the claim that marijuana smokers can detect fentanyl contamination by smell: In addition to its primary claim (that fentanyl-laced weed smells like popcorn), the post cont
Truth or Fiction?→ Were 2019’s First Three House Bills for Impeachment, an Electoral College Ban, and Foreign Aid?
On April 7 2019 the Facebook page “ForAmerica” shared the following meme (archived here), purportedly describing Democrats’ first three House bills in 2019: Atop a photograph of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Rep. Nancy Pelos
Truth or Fiction?→ Does ‘Strange Planet’ Creator Nathan W. Pyle Oppose Abortion?
In March 2019, a webcomic known as “Strange Planet” began dominating Facebook’s feed (as well as Instagram and Twitter), and in April 2019, rumors began circulating about creator Nathan W. Pyle’s purported anti-abortion positio
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Pat Robertson Claim He Had a Vision of Jesus with an AK-47 in Camo, Signaling the Second Coming?
In April 2019, a story spread on social media about a purported vision experienced by televangelist Pat Robertson regarding Jesus’ return — complete with an AK-47 and camo clothing: Linked here was an April 6 2019 item from The Business Sta
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Franklin Graham Say Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Has a ‘Satanic Background’?
In February 2019, an article from Business Standard News (BS News) contained the claim that evangelist Franklin Graham accused Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of coming from a “Satanic background”: We can’t go a day without some right-wi
Truth or Fiction?→ Should Anglers Beware of Snakes Hiding Inside Fish?
A September 2015 warning shared by the official-sounding Northwestern PA Sportsmen Facebook page (archived here) seems to make the rounds on social media in perpetuity: Beneath a photograph of what appears to be a snake inside the mouth of a large
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Forget to Vote for Her Own Green New Deal?
On March 29 2019 a Facebook page shared the following meme (archived here), asserting that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez failed to vote for her own bill (the “Green New Deal“): Across a photograph of Ocasio-Cortez (with a pejorative ter
Truth or Fiction?→ Do High Percentages of Refugees Receive Food Stamps, ‘Medicard,’ and Cash Welfare?
In late March 2019, the following meme (archived here) appeared, making three separate and warmed-over claims about “refugees” in the United States and opining, “cut them off”: The Meme The image-based meme provided no citation
Truth or Fiction?→ Does an Image Show ‘Worthless’ Money in the Gutter in Venezuela?
On March 22 2019, a Facebook user shared the following post (archived here), purportedly showing unfathomable amounts of money discarded in a gutter in Venezuela. A caption said: This is a street in Venezuela. That’s money in the gutter. It̵
Truth or Fiction?→ Does a New Netflix Show Aim to Transform Boys into ‘Sexy’ Little Girls?
In late March and early April 2019 an Instagram screenshot circulated on Facebook, asserting a “new Netflix show” aimed to transform boys into “sexy little girls.” The earlier iteration circulating in March appeared to have bee
Truth or Fiction?→ Wave of Garbage On the Dominican Republic’s Coast?
On March 18 2019 the Facebook page “Ascend (Podcast)” shared the following video (archived here), purportedly showing the shores of the Dominican Republic two days earlier: The status update read: ‘DEAD” Sea……&#
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rod Serling’s ‘Twilight Zone’ Use Sci-Fi to Push Politics Past Network Censors?
The beginning of April 2019 also marked the premiere of the third television iteration of The Twilight Zone. This time, Rod Serling’s mid-century television classic series was rebooted with producer Jordan Peele at the helm. On the day the firs
Truth or Fiction?→ Frida Kahlo: ‘Leaving is Not Enough’
A popular and lengthy social media quote attributed to Frida Kahlo (containing the lines “leaving is not enough” and “take a lover who looks at you like maybe you are magic”) was shared once again in early April 2019 on Faceboo
Truth or Fiction?→ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: ‘Socialism for the Rich, Rugged Individualism for the Poor’?
On April 2 2019, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared a meme (archived here) with an apparent quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on “socialism for the rich” and “rugged individualism for the poor”: To the rig
Truth or Fiction?→ April Fools’ Day 2019 Roundup
Traditionally, April Fools’ Day is a major “internet holiday” — but in recent years, roundups have largely been composed of a series of commercials designed to go viral on social media sites. Here is a list of April Fools’
Truth or Fiction?→ Monster Supercell in Burwell, Nebraska
On March 18 2019, a Facebook user shared the image below (archived here) with the caption “monster supercell, burwell, nebraska”: Several commenters expressed their concerns for the original poster’s safety, while others pointed out
Truth or Fiction?→ Were 70 Christians Massacred by Muslims in March 2019?
On March 19 2019, a Facebook user shared the status update below (archived here), claiming that 70 Nigerian Christians had been massacred by Muslims one day previously: Yesterday, muslims marched into a college in Nigeria, separated out the Christian
Truth or Fiction?→ Asylum-Seekers Held Under a Bridge in El Paso
On March 28 2019, a Twitter user shared the following tweet, purportedly showing a large number of people being detained under an overpass in El Paso, Texas: This concentration camp full of children is in El Paso, Texas, United States. It’s 2019. p
Truth or Fiction?→ Charles Kinsey Shooting
On March 20 2019, the following screenshot and text (archived here) was publicly shared on Facebook, accruing a six-figure share count in under a week: Charles Kinsey is his FUCKING NAME. Edit: the officer who shot him is Jonathon Aledda In the screen
Truth or Fiction?→ Pitcher Plant or ‘Penis Flytrap’
In March 2019, the following image was shared by Thailand Secrets (archived here), Pictures in History (original, archived here), “Historical Pictures” (archived here), Reddit r/mildlypenis, and Reddit r/misleadingthumbnails: Known a
Truth or Fiction?→ Tandem Nursing Milk Differences
A March 24 2019 post on the Facebook page “Breast is Best without Fear” (archived here) featured a purported image of different milks expressed by the “same mama,” thanks to nursing children of different ages and with separate
Truth or Fiction?→ John McCain vs. Donald Trump in 1973 Meme
In March 2019, United States President Donald Trump made several comments about Sen. John McCain, who died of brain cancer the previous August. Trump’s 2019 comments continued a feud that he had had with McCain before his death: President Donald
Truth or Fiction?→ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Facts Meme
On March 14 2019, the Facebook page Occupy Democrats shared a meme (archived here), making a number of claims about U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York): Next to a photograph of Ocasio-Cortez, the meme’s text read: In high school she