Amid a worldwide COVID-19 crisis on March 21 2020, a headline circulated — “Belgium Health Minister Puts Ban On Non-essential Sexual Activities Of Persons 3 Or Greater In Indoor Areas.” Often spreading without a link, occasionally th
Publication: viral content
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘The Purge’ Feed Set on March 22 2020?
One in five Americans were on official coronavirus lockdown on March 21 2020, and many of those Americans watched movies to pass the time — leading to a rumor that those viewing 2013’s The Purge spotted surveillance feed video in the f
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Florida City Cut Residents’ Power During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A confrontation between officials in Lake Worth Beach, Florida drew attention after a member of the local city commission criticized his colleagues of not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. “This is a banana republic, is what you’re t
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘100 Million Masks’ — Are Homemade Masks Sufficient for COVID-19 First Responders?
On March 20 2020, KOMO anchor Mary Nam shared a photograph of a person wearing a surgical mask (a form of personal protective equipment, or PPE, known to be in short supply due the coronavirus pandemic), and put out a call for anyone who knows how to
Truth or Fiction?→ Rapunzel Was Quarantined in ‘Tangled,’ Google the Name of Her Kingdom?
As coronavirus quarantine memes circulated in mid-March 2020, one referenced the Disney film Tangled, first stating that Rapunzel was “quarantined” during the film, and then tacking on people should “Google” the name of her k
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Crosses out ‘Corona’ on Virus Prepared Remarks, Writes ‘Chinese’
On March 19 2020, a number of tweets purportedly showed a close-up of United States President Donald Trump’s prepared remarks on the progress of a coronavirus pandemic, where he apparently used a marker to cross out the “corona” of &
Truth or Fiction?→ Is St. Corona the Patron Saint of Epidemics?
As novel coronavirus COVID-19 swept the majority Catholic country of Italy in March 2020, rumors appeared that Italians had begun praying to a St. Corona — who was, incidentally, “the patron saint of epidemics.” A March 11 post to th
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Property Management Company Tell Tenants to Pay Rent First During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A South Carolina property management company became a symbol for the anger and concern that tenants around the United States felt in the wake of the changes to their lives and livelihoods brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The criticis
Truth or Fiction?→ Is the United Way’s COVID-19 Helpline Accessible at 866-211-9966?
In mid-March 2020, a Facebook status update screenshot began circulating, advising anyone in need that United Way had a COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund which could be accessed by calling 1-866-211-9966: Black text on a pink and purple backgro
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Amazon Suspending All Non-Essential Shipments Except for Medical Supplies and and ‘High-Demand’ Products?
On March 17 2020, a number of tweets suggested a massive looming disruption in the flow of products from Amazon to customers, claiming that only medical supplies and “high-demand items” would be available for up to a month: BREAKING
Truth or Fiction?→ WIC-Approved Items and Coronavirus #SocialDistancing
On March 16 2020, the Facebook page “Vote Common Good” shared a screenshot of a tweet about social distancing, WIC-approved items, and conscientious coronavirus stock-up shopping: Labeled “a practical way to show kindness,”
Truth or Fiction?→ NTNU in Norway Warns about Coronavirus, the United States’ Healthcare and Infrastructure
On March 14 2020, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) advised students abroad to return home in the face of a global COVID-19 pandemic. The warning was for “countries with poorly developed collective infrastructure, for exa
Truth or Fiction?→ Did 12,000 Americans Die of H1N1/Swine Flu, and Were 275,000 Hospitalized?
As concerns over novel coronavirus strain COVID-19 crested in mid-March 2020, comparisons between the effects of the strain versus that of H1N1 (or “swine flu”) more than a decade before triggered a flurry of fact checks, a Facebook flag o
Truth or Fiction?→ Stephen King ‘Coronavirus Is not Like ‘The Stand’ Response Tweet
On March 11 2020, Facebook page “The Other 98%” shared a screenshot of a popular Twitter exchange between author Stephen King and another Twitter user, during which King denied the COVID-19 global pandemic was “like The Stand,”
Truth or Fiction?→ South Korea Tested 200,000, the CDC Tested 77 in a Week, and the Utah Jazz Tested 58 Players for COVID-19 in Hours?
On March 12 2020, Twitter user @SawyerHackett tweeted that South Korea had managed to test 200,000 people for novel coronavirus strain COVID-19, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only tested 77 people in a week — adding
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Trump Caught Saying ‘Fuck’ on a Live Mic?
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
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?→ 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?→ 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?→ 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?→ ‘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?→ 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 ‘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?→ Sophie Scholl’s Last Words
In February 2020, a two-year-old Facebook post about Sophie Scholl circulated to mark the purported anniversary of her death with her last words before her execution by Nazis: On February 21 2018, user Warren Lynn shared the screenshot above, writi
Truth or Fiction?→ Are American Women ’50 Percent More Likely’ to Die From Pregnancy or Childbirth Than Their Mothers?
Hidden in the middle of a story about the effects of social media disinformation on a pregnant woman is a statistic that might give readers pause, but it is chilling — and accurate. The information was part of a February 20 2020 NBC News story o
Truth or Fiction?→ Official ‘Snoopy’ Account Deletes ‘You’re One of the Good Ones’ Cartoon
The official @Snoopy account became the center of Twitter and Facebook controversy on February 21 2020, due to a since-deleted tweet involving Charlie Brown, his friend Franklin (a Black character), and usage of the phrase “you’re one of t
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Twenty States Now Suspend Driver’s Licenses of People Who Haven’t Paid Back Student Loans?
In February 2020, a screenshot (missing a date) circulated on Facebook, featuring a tweet by journalist Barbara Ehrenrich about how “20 states now” revoked driver’s licenses of people who had not been paying back their student loans:
Truth or Fiction?→ Fish Mox: ‘Same Antibiotic, Same Pill, Same Manufacturer, Same Drug’ as Amoxicillin?
On February 17 2020 a Facebook user shared the following post, claiming that a product called “Fish Mox” is the “same antibiotic, same pill,” and “same drug” as the common antibiotic amoxicillin: Alongside three
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Man Arrested for Allegedly Forcing a Woman to Watch ‘Roots’ to ‘Better Understand’ Her Racism?
On February 17 2020, an odd story came out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa via The Gazette, about the arrest of a man who allegedly forced made a woman watch the mini-series Roots so that she might better understand her own racism: A Cedar Rapids man [Rober
Truth or Fiction?→ For ‘Silent Help,’ ‘Ring 999, Then Press 55’
In January 2020, a Facebook photograph of a printed sign purportedly provided valuable advice to callers of 999, several countries’ version of the United States’ 911 — claiming that for “silent help,” callers impeded from
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You Make $50,000/Year, $36 of Your Taxes Goes to Food Stamps, $4,000 Goes to Corporate Subsidies’
A February 14 2020 tweet about “socialism” and a putative $50,000 wage earner paying $36 in tax towards food stamps and $4,000 towards corporate subsidies went wildly viral, appearing in screenshots on Facebook and discussion forums in the