The head of Oklahoma’s state Department of Education drew local and national criticism after a July 6 2023 meeting for a seemingly evasive answer to a question about the infamous 1921 attack on Tulsa’s “Black Wall Street” —
Publication: reporting
Truth or Fiction?→ U.S. Navy Twitter Account Features Russian Ship on Independence Day Post
The U.S. Pacific Fleet — which calls itself the largest naval force of its type in the world — tweeted, then deleted a tweet marking the July 4th Independence Day holiday after a researcher pointed out that it used a photo depicting Russian
Truth or Fiction?→ Federal Judge’s Ruling ‘Limits’ Biden Administration’s Contact with Social Media
On July 4 2023, a post to Reddit’s r/politics suggested that a federal judge had blocked the Biden administration from “communicating with social media companies”: Federal judge blocks Biden administration officials from co
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Calling 911 on the Fourth of July’
A Georgia sheriff’s department’s semi-tongue-in-cheek advisory regarding calling emergency services during the 4th of July holiday has lingered online. As WSB-TV reported in 2022, officials in Troup County first posted the graphic: Separat
Truth or Fiction?→ Reddit’s Fight Against Its Moderators is Now Affecting Google Searches
A labor dispute between Reddit and its forum moderators immediately spilled onto another tech platform, affecting Google users enough that the popular search engine acknowledged it at an “all-hands” meeting. According to CNBC, Google’
Truth or Fiction?→ British Media Further Spreads Myth About ‘Students Identifying as Cats’
A popular right-wing disinformation trope from the United States targeting LGBTQ teenagers has been re-laundered into political circles in the UK — and all based on a purportedly recorded argument. As the progressive Byline Times and other UK out
Truth or Fiction?→ Researchers: Nazi-Quoting ‘Moms’ Have Forged Ties to Other Right-Wing Groups
As the right-wing group “Moms for Liberty” was caught quoting Adolf Hitler in its material in June 2023, it was also revealed as both an ally to other far-right extremists and a major player in anti-government efforts targeting Black and LG
Truth or Fiction?→ Experts Warn: ‘Freedom Convoy’ Supporters Now Pushing Anti-LGBTQ Movement
In what should by now be a familiar shift, supporters of the right-wing “Freedom Convoy” have moved on to pushing anti-LGBTQ campaigns, according to Canadian experts. “In terms of the organizers and the people who had the loudest voic
Truth or Fiction?→ Meta’s Zuckerberg Claims ‘Establishment’ Pushed for Censorship on COVID-19 Disinformation
Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg claimed that a nebulous “establishment” mistakenly pushed for his platform to censor information regarding COVID-19 because they thought it was disinformation. While discussing issues concerning moderation wit
Truth or Fiction?→ JP Morgan Claims to ‘Now Understand’ Jeffrey Epstein Was a Predator
In negotiating a $290 million settlement with the victims of billionaire sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, megabank JPMorgan suggested ignorance of Epstein’s activities. “We all now understand that Epstein’s behaviour was monstrous,
Truth or Fiction?→ California Bill Supporting Journalists Passes Amid Facebook ‘Bullying Threat’
A bill that would impose a fee on tech platforms like Facebook for scraping and disseminating news stories passed in the California state assembly on June 1 2023 — despite an industry threat. Assembly Bill 886 (AB 886), a.k.a. the California Jour
Truth or Fiction?→ Boston University President Accuses Students of ‘the Cancel Culture’ for Booing Warner Bros. Head
The outgoing president of Boston University lashed out at graduating students who booed and heckled Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav while he was speaking at the university in the midst of a strike by the Writers’ Guild of Amer
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Banner for This Juneteenth Event Feature Two White People?
A popular image featuring a banner showing white people while promoting a national holiday with roots in Black American history is legitimate — and showed the source of criticism around a Juneteenth event in Greenville, South Carolina. The photog
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Eugenicist Victim Blaming’: Disability Experts Criticize Story Painting COVID-19 as Near ‘Endemic’
A San Francisco television station’s story about an “endemic” phase to the COVID-19 pandemic alarmed disability experts and advocates. The story, aired by KGO-TV on May 22 2023, features Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine an
Truth or Fiction?→ HBO’s ‘Max’ Transition Drops Writer, Director Credits
On May 23 2023, a post on Reddit to r/movies claimed that when HBO Max rebranded as “Max,” the platform stopped crediting writer and directors: The new "Max" streaming service doesn’t credit the director and wri
Truth or Fiction?→ Target Caves to Weaponized Narratives, ‘Pulls’ Pride Items
On May 24 2023, Target issued a statement regarding Pride Month in 2023, disclosing a controversial decision to change course in response to purported violent threats against its employees: Target Statement on 2023 Pride Collection For more than a deca
Truth or Fiction?→ Anti-Immigrant Claims Involving Homeless ‘Veterans’ Fall Apart
A group of homeless men in New York state were tricked into posing as veterans for the purposes of spreading a story shaming asylum seekers, the Mid-Hudson News reported on May 19 2023. “It was brought to my attention that two people came to the
Truth or Fiction?→ L.A. Dodgers Capitulate to Right-Wing Campaign Against ‘Pride Night’
The Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team has disinvited a prominent drag performance and activism group following a campaign orchestrated by the Catholic League and supported by Marco Rubio (R-Florida). The team announced on May 17 2023 that it had resci
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘It’s Just Disgusting’: E. Jean Carroll Considering Suing Trump Again After CNN ‘Town Hall’
Author and veteran journalist E. Jean Carroll said she is considering filing a new defamation suit against disgraced former U.S. President Donald Trump in the wake of a heavily-criticized “town hall” broadcast on CNN. “Everything̵
Truth or Fiction?→ Eric Adams Keeps Spreading Disinformation About ‘Fentanyl-Laced Cannabis’
Despite evidence to the contrary, New York City mayor Eric Adams (D) has continued using public speaking appearances to push the idea that children are buying marijuana laced with fentanyl. In the most recent example, journalist Rebecca C. Lewis of Cit
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Angry Mob of Antifa’: Robocall Attacks ‘Tennessee Three’ with Regurgitated Smears
A “robocall” circulating in Tennessee is spreading false accusations about the trio of Democratic state lawmakers dubbed the “Tennessee Three” in the wake of their being targeted by their Republican counterparts for expulsion fr
Truth or Fiction?→ Retracted COVID-19 Vaccine Study Was Funded by Anti-Vaxxer
A Michigan State University economist’s study — which was criticized for claiming that COVID-19 vaccines could be blamed nearly 300,000 deaths — was retracted after the revelation that it was funded by an anti-vaccine former federal o
Truth or Fiction?→ Clarence Thomas’ Right-Wing Benefactor Helped Ginni Thomas Become a Lobbyist
The right-wing real estate mogul who reportedly lavished Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with undisclosed vacations also financed Virginia “Ginni” Thomas’ foray into becoming a lobbyist fighting what was described as a “cu
Truth or Fiction?→ New Study is Last Call for Disinformation about ‘Healthy’ Moderate Drinking
A new study by Canadian researchers not only sheds corrective light on previous studies on the effects of alcohol — it also pierces through decades of folklore and corporate messaging on the subject. “It’s often been thought that wine
Truth or Fiction?→ The Disinformation Panic Around ‘Boycotting’ Dylan Mulvaney and Bud Light
The announcement that trans actress Dylan Mulvaney was working with the Bud Light brand of beers sent right-wing media organizations and bloggers into a transphobic fit — with a predictably ahistorical bent. As the LGBTQ news site Them reported,
Truth or Fiction?→ San Jose Police Union ‘Grandma’ Charged in Federal Fentanyl Shipping Probe
A top official in the police union representing officers in San Jose, California was accused by federal officials of using union resources as part of a scheme to import a synthetic “analogue” to fentanyl. According to a statement from the U
Truth or Fiction?→ Texas Journalists Rally to Save Progressive Magazine
The staff at the progressive Texas Observer magazine has raised more than $219,000 in an effort to stay open, less than a week after its managing board unilaterally voted to shut the publication down. The online fundraising effort, created on March 27
Truth or Fiction?→ A Recent History of George Soros Conspiracy Theories
If you have spent any time on the internet since 2016 — and who hasn’t? — you’ll be familiar with right wing bugbear George Soros, an extremely rich philanthropist who donates generously to liberal and progressive causes, and i
Truth or Fiction?→ Alex Jones’ $43 Million Bankruptcy Payment Plan Rejected: Report
Conspiracy theorist broadcaster Alex Jones must provide thorough financial records in response to a judge’s order by the end of March 2023, after the bereaved families of victims of the Sandy Hook mass shooting attack rejected his attorneys’
Truth or Fiction?→ Bannon Ally Charged with Fraud Also Helped Him Spread Disinformation
The 54-year-old billionaire popularly known as “Guo Wengui” not only used other names — he was also involved in several efforts alongside former White House advisor Steve Bannon. Federal prosecutors’ announcement on March 15 202
Truth or Fiction?→ New York Court: Fox News ‘Turned a Blind Eye’ to Guests’ Election Disinformation
The right-wing Fox “news” channel must face a second defamation lawsuit for promoting election deniers following Donald Trump’s resounding loss to Joe Biden in 2020. The New York State Supreme Court ruled on March 8 2023 that a $2.7 b
Truth or Fiction?→ How the Court of Public Opinion Shifted on the Infamous McDonald’s Coffee Lawsuit
Derided for years as a comedic (at best) example of a frivolous lawsuit, the story of Stella Liebeck’s legal battle with the McDonald’s fast food chain has been the subject of a critical reappraisal. The 1994 case, Liebeck v. McDonalds, ste
Truth or Fiction?→ White Nationalist Nick Fuentes ‘Removed’ from CPAC, Livestreams Anti-Semitic Speech
On March 5 2023, Twitter video of a highly antisemitic and bigoted speech by white nationalist Nick Fuentes spread against a backdrop of news about Fuentes at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC): Yesterday, in Nick Fuentes’s speech,
Truth or Fiction?→ Ukraine Marks One-Year Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion
Weaponized disinformation campaigns and more conventional attacks on February 24 2023 marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; amid retrospectives and updates, a popular Imgur post featured a video and commentary attribute
Truth or Fiction?→ Propublica’s Politwoops Archive in Peril — Can It Be Saved?
On February 24 2023, data journalist Derek Willis tweeted a “eulogy” for Politwoops, an archive of deleted tweets in the public interest maintained by investigative journalism organization ProPublica: For six years I had the responsibilit
Truth or Fiction?→ Arizona Election Deniers Wilted When Asked for Proof: Report
Election deniers in Arizona folded when asked to provide proof of their voting-related conspiracy theories, according to a Washington Post report. The story was based on an investigation into “voter fraud” carried out by then-state Attorney
Truth or Fiction?→ The NFL Invokes Pat Tillman’s Name at the Super Bowl — But Ignores How He Died
Before Super Bowl LVII even began, the National Football League (NFL) drew criticism for distorting the circumstances behind the death of former player and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman in a promotional effort. The telecast featured a video package on T
Truth or Fiction?→ Reporter Evan Lambert Arrested While Covering Ohio Train Derailment
On February 9 2023, a popular post to Reddit’s r/news was titled “Reporter arrested during news event on Ohio train derailment,” and a subsequent post to Imgur depicted the same headline: Reporter arrested during news event
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Twitter Files’ Hearing Further Exposes How It ‘Bent and Broke’ Rules for the Trump Administration
A House Oversight Committee ostensibly geared toward showing “suppression” of information regarding the laptop of Hunter Biden — the son of United States President Joe Biden and a frequent target of far-right conspiracist fantasies
Truth or Fiction?→ After Fred la Marmotte’s Death, Winter-Watching Animals are Divided
The announcement that the groundhog Fred la Marmotte had died, on the day residents in a Quebec town were set to mark his winter prediction, touched off not just a somber Groundhog Day for his constituents but a split between his colleagues. Canadian m