Two mass shootings in California in the first weeks of 2023, both committed by immigrants in their sixties, have highlighted the issue of disinformation and propaganda targeting American immigrant communities, and how the prods and pulleys of stochasti
Publication: reporting
Truth or Fiction?→ Election Denier Kari Lake Facing Investigation as Arizona GOP Further Embraces Conspiracy Theories
Shortly after a state election that saw her party cohorts double down on conspiracy theories, failed right-wing Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake faced a possible investigation for wrongfully sharing voter information. Lake, who lost the Novemb
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is Peak Greed’: Activists Blast Meta for Reinstating Trump to Facebook
The reinstatement of right-wing former United States President Donald Trump to Facebook and Instagram was roundly criticized by activists warning that it could drive “democracy to the brink.” “Meta is moving backwards, returning us to
Truth or Fiction?→ Failed GOP Candidate Embraced Disinformation, Violence in Shooting Plot
The history of the 39-year-old alleged “mastermind” behind a plan to attack multiple Democratic Party officials in New Mexico showed an embrace of both violence and conspiracy theories that have driven right-wing political violence in the U
Truth or Fiction?→ Tennessee Lawmaker Switches From School ‘Litter Box’ Hoax to ‘Leashes’ Narrative
When asked to admit her claims of “litter boxes” in schools were a hoax, a right-wing Tennessee lawmaker instead shifted to claiming she was told about “leashes” instead. The Tennessee Holler news outlet posted footage of an int
Truth or Fiction?→ Before Being Elected, George Santos Pushed His Own ‘Stolen Election’ Hoax
Amid continuing criticism and demands — even from local party members — that he leave office, a video circulating online shows right-wing Rep. George Santos (R-New York) appearing at a January 5 2021 rally and falsely claiming that an elect
Truth or Fiction?→ GOP Installs Election Denier Atop Homeland Security Committee
Days after finally electing a House Speaker, the incoming right-wing majority in the House of Representatives installed election-denying Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee (R) atop the Homeland Security Committee. Green confirmed his election on Twitter whil
Truth or Fiction?→ Brazil Insurrection Had Familiar Faces, Themes
A January 8 2023 attempted right-wing coup in Brazil’s capital Brasília followed the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (popularly known as “Lula”) over right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the South American nation’s pres
Truth or Fiction?→ Who Had the Metal Detectors Removed From the Capitol?
Before the incoming right-wing House of Representatives majority could elect a new Speaker, metal detectors were removed from the Capitol floor on January 3 2023 — but it is unclear who ordered it to happen. The devices were installed outside of
Truth or Fiction?→ White House COVID-19 Chief Downplays Mask Use in ‘Confusing’ Interview
The head of the White House’s response to COVID-19, Dr. Ashish K. Jha, downplayed the importance of local mask mandates in December 2022 — going into the third year of the global pandemic — even as he claimed it was not an “eith
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Cast Down The Mighty, Send The Rich Away’
An anti-capitalist Biblical message out of a church in New Zealand is getting quite a lot of attention online. “I’m quite amazed how much beef we’re getting that this sign is not Christmassy,” Dean Jay Ruka said of the sign outs
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘We Took Police At Their Word’: Florida News Outlets Fuel Latest Police ‘Overdose’ Story
A story out of Florida in December 2022 quickly gained traction online and made it to the national spotlight, becoming the latest story to push the claim — contrary to medical expertise — that even brief exposure to fentanyl can induce an o
Truth or Fiction?→ Indiana College Chancellor Apologizes After ‘Made-Up Asian’ Remark Comes to Light
The head of a Purdue University campus quickly backtracked after footage of him making an anti-Asian “joke” in December 2022 gained more attention on social media. Chancellor Thomas L. Keon’s outburst during a commencement ceremony wa
Truth or Fiction?→ Ex-WWE Head Vince McMahon Planning ‘Comeback’: Report
The disgraced former public face of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is mulling over a return to public life even as sexual assault allegations against him persist, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The newspaper reported that representativ
Truth or Fiction?→ Conspiracy-Slinging Republican Claims ‘Sarcasm’ After January 6 Remarks Were Caught on Video
Right-wing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) claimed that she was being “sarcastic” when she told a GOP group that they “would have won” if she had organized the January 6 2021 coup attempt against the United States govern
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Twitter Files’ Round 2: Bari Weiss Edition
Conservative columnist Bari Weiss became the second person to receive “Twitter Files” documents from Twitter’s then-new CEO Elon Musk in December 2022. This generated quite a lot of exceptionally vague controversy, as well as discussi
Truth or Fiction?→ Michigan Republican Leaves State Senate Regurgitating ‘Great Replacement’ Smears
A normally sedate occasion gave outgoing Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey the opportunity to instead peddle highly weaponized conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns. “I can see things that are about to happen or are going to
Truth or Fiction?→ Moore County Substation Attack: What We Know So Far
On the night of December 3 2022, residents of North Carolina’s Moore County lost power; subsequently, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office published a Facebook post indicating that the loss of power was being investigated as a “criminal
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘I Hope They Are Better Prepared’: Experts Raise Alarm on Trump-Fuentes-Ye Meeting Coverage
The multimedia spectacle touched off by the meeting between former United States President Donald Trump and white supremacist Nick Fuente has already stirred concerns around how larger media outlets will handle the further incursion of extreme right-wi
Poynter→ Twitter’s policy on misleading COVID-19 information is ‘no longer in effect’
Factually is a newsletter about fact-checking and misinformation from Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network. Sign up here to receive it in your email every other Thursday. The latest issue of the saga we’re all tired […] The post
Truth or Fiction?→ The Rail Strike, Explained
On November 30 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at preventing a railroad strike ahead of the holiday season — although the matter was not yet fully settled: The House on Wednesday [November 30 2022] resoundingly approve
Truth or Fiction?→ New Movie Revives the Unlikely Legend of Kentucky’s ‘Cocaine Bear’
The weird-but-true story of a doomed (but possibly briefly very excited) black bear looks to become an even weirder movie in 2023. The trailer for the movie Cocaine Bear appeared on November 30 2022, accompanied on some platforms by the titular star s
Truth or Fiction?→ How to Fight Disinformation — Part V: Resilience Targeting
This is the last in a series about how communities can fight back and protect themselves against weaponized disinformation campaigns. You can read our previous articles here: Part I: Firehosing Part II: Gaslighting Part III: Distraction Part IV: Sign
Truth or Fiction?→ Here’s Where the Justice Department Will Monitor the Midterm Election Polls
The Department of Justice (DOJ) will monitor polls in Maricopa County, Arizona — which has seen an influx of armed right-wing operatives harassing voters — as well as polls in 63 other locations across the United States in the November 8 20
Truth or Fiction?→ Ottawa’s Right-Wing ‘Freedom Convoy’ Was Assisted by Canadian Police and Federal Officials
The right-wing trucker “convoy” protesting vaccination mandates in Canada in early 2022 received information from personnel in both local and federal law enforcement, according to their attorney. The Toronto Star reported that the attorney,
Truth or Fiction?→ U.S. President Joe Biden’s Speech on Threats to Democracy
On November 2 2022, United States President Joe Biden gave a speech ahead of the November 8 2022 U.S. midterm elections decrying a spike in political violence and urging voters to participate at the polls. Some Twitter users claimed that Biden’s
Truth or Fiction?→ More Fake Newspapers Distributed Ahead of 2022 Midterms
On November 1 2022, an Imgur account shared photographs of a “fake newspaper,” designed to conceal political talking points as news: Republican Misinformation Disguised as a Local Newspaper Six images were included in the post, but the n
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Victory for the Voters’: Arizona Ballot ‘Watchers’ Ordered to Stay Away from Drop Boxes
The right-wing, conspiracist-minded group that bragged about staking out election drop boxes in Arizona was ordered by a federal judge to stay at least 75 feet away from them, and forbidden from speaking to voters unless spoken to first. Judge Michael
Truth or Fiction?→ A Brief History of Pelosi Attack Conspiracies
In the early morning hours of October 28 2022, a hammer-wielding intruder entered the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, encountering and attacking her husband Paul. Paul Pelosi sustained head injuries, severe enough to warrant emergency surgery. Late
Truth or Fiction?→ The IRS is Ignoring Churches’ Right-Wing Political Push: Report
As more Christian churches push harder into right-wing politics, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will not tackle apparent violations of federal law, ProPublica and the Texas Tribune reported on October 30 2022. The two news sites said that they had
Truth or Fiction?→ Hammer-Wielding Home Invader Attacks Paul Pelosi, Spouse of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Early on the morning of October 28 2022, news appeared that the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was attacked at their residence by an individual with a hammer. A post to Reddit’s r/WhitePeopleTwitter featured a tweet about the incident:
Truth or Fiction?→ A Pro Wrestling Legend Becomes a Giant Topic on Twitter
Longtime fans of pro wrestling — or maybe just of the 1987 film The Princess Bride — likely let out a cheer in late October as a familiar face became a popular topic. The visage of the late Andre the Giant gained traction on Twitter after a
Truth or Fiction?→ How One Tennessee County Shows the Relationship Between Early Voting and Turnout
An activist’s thread about early voting activity in Tennessee illustrated how lack of access can negatively affect turnout going into the November 2022 U.S. midterm elections. Lisa Quigley, director of the group Solving Hunger, first drew attenti
Truth or Fiction?→ Arizona Alerts DOJ After Complaints About Right-Wing Ballot ‘Watchers’
As election deniers and conspiracy theorists appeared to set their sights on Arizona (among other states), both state and federal officials have been alerted regarding possible voter intimidation in Phoenix in October 2022. According to KNXV-TV reporte
Truth or Fiction?→ Lara Logan Rant Results in Newsmax Ban, Statement
Former CBS News correspondent Lara Logan was banned from far-right American cable network Newsmax in October 2022 after a bizarre antisemitic rant on October 19 2022 — the latest in a long string of appearances featuring escalating, fully conspi
Truth or Fiction?→ How Local ABC Affiliates Spread the Same Debunked ‘Warning’ About Fentanyl
A story out of Los Angeles, California that hinged on fearmongering from law enforcement regarding “Halloween fentanyl” in October 2022 served as another example of how television news affiliates can amplify disinformation — all witho
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Republicans Are Introducing the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act’
On October 18 2022, Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson (R) tweeted an announcement about a piece of proposed legislation with an attention-grabbing title — “The Stop the Sexualization of Children Act”: BREAKING Republicans are introducing
Truth or Fiction?→ Former Michigan House Speaker Under Investigation for ‘Array’ of Suspected Crimes
The former state House Speaker for Michigan is reportedly under investigation after months of allegations of both personal and professional impropriety. The Detroit News reported on October 18 2022 that the state attorney general’s office had ope
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Flooding the Zone’: Trump Allies Push for Election Denier ‘Observers’
The former chief of staff for one-term United States President Donald Trump is at the head of the group funding the efforts of right-wing “election watchers,” who have opted to base their campaign on Trump’s lie that he did not really
Truth or Fiction?→ USA Today Publisher Also Printing Right-Wing ‘Newspaper’ Mailings: Report
The publishing company behind USA Today and other reputable newspapers is also publishing a string of far-right and other disinformation-heavy political publications made up to look like news outlets. According to the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR),