On February 20 2019, the Facebook page Pictures in History shared a version of the photograph of a chairlift seen above simply captioned: “Safety standards in the 1960s.” The photograph was not new to the internet, and the meme-style versi
Publication: TruthOrFiction
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Bit Windy Today’ Wind Turbine Failure Video
On February 22 2019, the Facebook page “What did I just see?” shared a video (linked here) captioned “Bit windy today,” purportedly depicting the failure of a wind turbine during an intense weather event: The clip quickly sp
Truth or Fiction?→ Meghan Markle’s Royal Portrait?
In February 2019, several Facebook posts appeared that purported to show the royal portrait of Meghan Markle, the actress turned Duchess of Sussex. In one popular version, the sharer lauded the fact that “they” (presumably the Queen) didn&
Truth or Fiction?→ Christmas Tradition of Women Begging Their Husbands for Forgiveness?
On February 24 2019, the Facebook page “Pictures in History” shared the following caption with the photograph seen above: A long forgotten Christmas tradition, women once used to beg their husbands for forgiveness from all of their wrongdoings and
Truth or Fiction?→ Are FDR and LBJ Era ‘Say No to Socialism’ Buttons Authentic?
On February 21 2019, economist and former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich published a tweet alongside what appeared to be an image of two political buttons from Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s and Lyndon B. Johnson’s campaigns: A
Truth or Fiction?→ Does the UK’s National Health Service Cost £10 a Month vs $2,500 For American Insurance?
On February 20 2019 the Facebook page “Medicare for All” shared a following meme contrasting the purported costs of health care coverage in the United States versus the United Kingdom (and alleging that Americans prefer their system): The
Truth or Fiction?→ Does a Viral Video Depict a Crab Eating Her Babies?
On February 20 2019, UNILAD shared a video to Facebook titled “Red Crab Eats Her Newborn Babies.” The clip was wildly popular, racking up millions of views and shares in under 24 hours (the video itself can be viewed here.) It was captioned
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Border Signs Admit the United States Has Lost Control of Border Territory?
On January 13 2019, Facebook user Steve Raabe shared a photograph purportedly showing a sign at the U.S.-Mexico border, along with the following status update: I live on the border with Mexico. As a matter of fact, I live right on the edge. I was rais
Truth or Fiction?→ Uber Sex Trafficking Warning?
On February 19 2019, a woman shared a harrowing account via Facebook which reported that a phony Uber driver in Tampa had nearly successfully abducted her for the purposes of sex trafficking. In her post, Emmy Hurley described the purported brush with
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This an Abandoned Button Factory Stairwell?
On February 15 2019, the Facebook page “Quartzsite Happenings” published the following photograph, captioned “Stairway in an abandoned button factory”: The compelling image began racking up shares, but it suspiciously lacked an
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Ronald Reagan Say Socialism ‘Only Works in Two Places,’ Heaven and Hell?
On February 10 2019, Senator Chris McDaniel shared a meme quoting Ronald Reagan on “socialism” only functioning properly in two places: Above a black-and-white photograph of President Reagan, the meme read: SOCIALISM ONLY WORKS IN TWO PLAC
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Family Separation Genocide?
In February 2019, a mid-2018 tweet about family separations and the permanent and widespread transfer of children from their families to other people qualifying as genocide began recirculating. The tweet was initially published in June 2018, and it sai
Truth or Fiction?→ Heinz Ketchup Ingredients, U.S. vs UK
On February 14 2019, Vani Hari (popularly known as the “Food Babe” in the media) shared a graphic that compared the purported difference between Heinz Ketchup’s ingredient list in the United Kingdom versus the United States: The imag
Truth or Fiction?→ Violent, Disturbing Messages in Childrens’ Videos?
On February 12 2019, Facebook user Meridy Leeper shared an image purportedly of a drawing by her young child and the following message about suicidal ideation in small children apparently prompted by videos beneath parental radar on YouTube, TikTok,
Truth or Fiction?→ Subway Feeds Homeless People for Free?
On February 5 2019, a Facebook user shared a photograph and text claiming that homeless people could eat for free at Subway locations between 3 and 5 every afternoon: If you know any homeless please make them aware they can eat an drink free daily at s
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Apple Cider Vinegar and Coconut Oil Defeat Head Lice?
A December 2016 post on the Facebook page “Mummies & Daddies” circulates in perpetuity, continuing to spread misinformation about the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar (sometimes shortened to the initials ACV) and coconut oil as a tr
Truth or Fiction?→ Underground Railroad to Mexico?
On February 13 2019, a Facebook user shared a screenshot of a tweet, originally tweeted a day earlier by @HISTORY about a purported version of the Underground Railroad running south to Mexico: Text for the tweet read: Slaveholders knew that enslaved p
Truth or Fiction?→ Has Wu-Tang’s GZA Lectured on Quantum Physics at Harvard?
In February 2019, a #BlackHistoryMonth post on Facebook asserted that the Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA (also known as The Genius) is a scientist, has lectured at Harvard, and is educated in quantum physics: Above two photographs of GZA, text stated: Peopl
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the Red Cross Assisting Migrant Caravans with Tents and Supplies?
In October 2018 a Facebook user shared the following status update, alleging that the Red Cross was providing tents and food to a group of people moving through Mexico to the United States to request asylum at its southern border: Against a red backgr
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Winston Churchill Say Socialism is the Philosophy of Failure?
On February 8 2019, a Facebook user shared the following meme, featuring images of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez above a purported quote from British wartime leader Winston Churchill: Underneath two identical images of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, it fea
Truth or Fiction?→ Are People of All Ages Allowed to Drink in Wisconsin?
On February 12 2019, the Facebook page “Did You Know” shared the following meme, claiming that people of all ages in the state of Wisconsin — including children — can legally consume alcohol: Against a black background, its text stat
Truth or Fiction?→ Is ‘Peppa Pig’ Giving American Kids British Accents?
In early February 2019, a number of outlets began reporting on the “Peppa effect,” a purported trend causing American preschoolers who watched the show to speak in British accents. The claims were virtually guaranteed to achieve viral tract
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the Original ‘Lone Ranger’ a Black Man?
In January 2019, a meme that appeared to be a screenshot of an older post asserting that the real Lone Ranger was a black man named Bass Reeves spread on social media: Above what appeared to be an archival photograph of a black man and the television
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a 2019 Photograph of Tennessee Residents Queueing in the Cold for Medical Assistance?
On February 10 2019, NBC managing editor Dafna Linzer shared the following image and caption (subsequently transcribed) on Twitter: The tweet stated that the “stark photo taken this week in Knoxville tells a very different story about the econo
Truth or Fiction?→ 1921 Tulsa Race Riot
In February 2019, a meme about the 1921 Tulsa race riot was shared to Facebook, racking up tens of thousands of shares in 24 hours: Above what looked to be an archival photograph of Ku Klux Klan members lining a dirt road, and caption (“History
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Recycled?
On February 12 2019, YouTube star Shane Dawson published his second video in his conspiracy series — called, appropriately, “Investigating Conspiracies with Shane Dawson” — and by far the most popular of its three topics was a claim th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s State of the Union Outfit Cost Thousands of Dollars?
In February 2019, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez was among a number of Democratic women wearing all white ensembles for the president’s State of the Union address, and the New York congresswoman’s outfit in particular inspired a number of me
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Australia Fire Its Entire Legislature After a 1975 Government Shutdown?
In early February 2019, a Facebook user shared the meme below, which claims that after Australia went through a government shutdown in 1975 its citizens kicked out the entire legislature and started over: Text overlaid on a photograph of what looked l
Truth or Fiction?→ American Sign Language for the Word ‘Abortion’?
Ongoing debate about a January 22 2019 change to abortion law in New York piqued interest in the topic across social media, reviving an old rumor that a long-circulating GIF sbows the American Sign Language translation of the word “abortion.̶
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a 38-Year-Old White Active Duty Naval Officer Assault a Black Middle School Student?
On January 23 2019, a Facebook user shared what appeared to be a screenshot of an unlinked Facebook post, alleging that a man named Jordan Lee Grinnell assaulted an unnamed black middle school student: Above three images (a handcuffed man sitting on s
Truth or Fiction?→ Shocking Video of ‘Abortion Doctor’ Saying He ‘Loves Killing Babies’?
On February 7 2019, Facebook user Marcus Rogers shared a video post captioned: “SHOCKING VIDEO of Abortion Doctor GROWLING and Saying He loves Killing Babies. This is just DISGUSTING [emoji] AND YOU KNOW, they don’t want you to see this one
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Modern Caesarean Sections Invented in Africa?
On February 6 2019, a Facebook post circulated claiming that “modern c-sections” were invented by midwives in Africa. The post had the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth, and it said in its entirety: Did you that modern C sections were invented by
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This the League of Nazi Women, Who ‘Always Wore White’?
On February 5 2019, Facebook user Anna Love shared the following image in a status update, claiming that the photograph shows Nazi Socialist women wearing their customary white attire: In the status update field, Love wrote: The League of Nazi Sociali
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Muslim Principal Ban Crucifixes in a Virginia School?
On January 30 2019, Facebook page “The Blacksphere” shared the following meme, purportedly depicting a Virginia principal named Mamasai Mamakusa: The meme was likely outrage-bait which implied that the nonexistent principal’s hijab c
Truth or Fiction?→ Keanu Reeves Steals a Camera?
On February 6 2019, the Facebook page “Children of the Night” reposted a popular meme purportedly showing an amusing scene: actor Keanu Reeves fleeing paparazzi after stealing a camera from a photographer: Its caption stated: A photo of K
Truth or Fiction?→ Penn State ‘Slut Shaming’ Advertisement?
On February 3 2019, the Facebook page Feminist News shared a screenshot of a tweet to Penn State about their placement of a questionable sexual health advertisement: The tweet’s text read: Per the CDC, college men have (on avg) more than triple
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Alabama Declare Fetuses Are People?
On January 22 2019, New York State’s Reproductive Health Act was signed into law, inflaming people across the United States. Arguments raged on social networks, largely due to misinterpretations of the law and a mistaken belief that it enabled el
Truth or Fiction?→ Snow Walls in Austria?
As temperatures in the Midwest plummeted in January 2019, the following photograph appeared on social media with the caption: “You think we got snow, how about Austria?” No context was provided for the images, and no clues about the locat
Truth or Fiction?→ Are ‘Ankle Scarves’ the New Hot Fashion Trend?
In December 2018, a number of viral news sites began sharing posts about ankle scarves, the purported “hot new trend” in winter footwear. Country Living‘s post admitted it “didn’t know what to say” about ankle scarve
Truth or Fiction?→ Mold in Baby Food Pouches?
On January 31 2019, the Facebook page “Mommin’ Over Everything” shared what appears to be a screenshot of a social media post showing mold purportedly found in Aldi Simply Natural baby food pouches: Another version published on the