On February 1 2022, the following meme was shared to Imgur, describing the actions of a man identified as “Jabbar Gibson” in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: That image was clearly a screenshot, and it appeared to show a cropp
Publication: viral content
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Smart’ Engagement Rings?
On February 1 2022, as Valentine’s Day season got off to a roaring start, a story on the topic of romance and marriage appeared on social media and subsequently went viral: The rumor appears to have been sparked by a Twitter account called ̶
Truth or Fiction?→ Calm Harm App
A December 2019 Facebook post about a self-harm prevention app called “Calm Harm” continued to circulate as of January 2022. In total, ten Tumblr screenshots were attached to the post describing the “Calm Harm” app. The original
Truth or Fiction?→ The Online Trick to ‘Send Student Loan Debt Collectors Packing’
Social media users relying on a graphic circulating online in January 2022 to hold student loan debt collectors at bay should be wary. The graphic, which surfaced in January 2022, pushes the claim that a person had “sent four student loan debt co
Truth or Fiction?→ 12ft.io Paywall Bypassing Service
A popular January 19 2022 post alerted readers to the existence of 12ft.io, a site that purportedly bypasses paywalls on news sites: The Facebook Post An attached image featured a graphic of hands and a broken chain. Text on the image read: Show me a
Truth or Fiction?→ Mississippi Woman Allegedly Forged Fax to Free Incarcerated Boyfriend
On January 26 2022, an Imgur account shared screenshots of a purported news article with the headline, “Mississippi Woman Charged After Jail Receives Forged Fax Ordering Release Of Her Incarcerated Boyfriend”: That’s amoré We couldn
Truth or Fiction?→ Tennessee School District Bans ‘Maus,’ a Children’s Book About the Holocaust
On January 27 2022, no fewer than five “most viral” Imgur posts had to do with the topic of a Tennessee school district’s decision to ban Maus — a graphic novel for children about the horrors of the Holocaust. Social Media Post
Truth or Fiction?→ Rudy Giuliani’s $911 Autographed 9/11 T-Shirts
On January 25 2022, a screenshot of the following tweet went around Imgur, containing the assertion that former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was selling autographed 9/11 t-shirts for $911: He can try to sell them, but is anyone buying?There is
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Don’t Let Drunk or High Drive’
On January 23 2022, a California-based journalist tweeted an image of a highway sign with rather odd wording: TBH I feel like a drunk or high person created this sign. The message is important, but I can’t say I’m a fan of the wording. Don’t le
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘One of the Reasons I Drive Right Past Home Depot and Straight to Lowe’s …’
In January 2022, a June 2020 Facebook post purportedly comparing Lowe’s and Home Depot’s chief executive officers continued spreading: One of the reasons I drive right past Home Depot and straight to Lowe’s is because while the co-founder
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘I Tore Open Your Letter and Licked the Envelope’s Seal for Any Lingering Taste of You’
A viral January 12 2022 tweet purportedly quoting a letter by Emily Dickinson to a female friend (“I tore open your letter and licked the envelope’s seal for any lingering taste of you”) quickly spread in screenshots on Facebook and I
Truth or Fiction?→ Campbell’s ‘Soup on the Rocks’ Ad
On January 12 2022, actor Wil Wheaton shared a purported Campbell’s “Soup on the rocks” vintage advertisement to Facebook, alongside the caption “What the actual fuck, Campbell’s”: Against an off-white background, a
Truth or Fiction?→ Barilla Spotify Pasta Timers
On January 11 2022, an Imgur user shared Twitter screenshots pertaining to pasta maker Barilla’s spotify playlists: Promote the marketing team In the screenshots, the Twitter account (@SYSCAbout, “shit you should care about”) was vi
Truth or Fiction?→ Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and a Freedom Summer High-Speed Chase
On January 7 2022, just after the death of actor Sidney Poitier, a viral tweet described a purported incident in which Poitier and singer Harry Belafonte engaged in a “high-speed chase” to deliver $70,000 during the summer of 1964: the be
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Starting Today Illinois Schools Can No Longer Ban Cornrows, Locs, Afros and Braids from School’
On January 3 2022, Say Cheese Digital published a Facebook post and tweet claiming that as of that date, the state of Illinois would prohibit schools from banning “cornrows, locs, afros, and braids”: Starting today Illinois schools can n
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This ‘Our Planet From the Side of the Pacific Ocean’?
On January 4 2022, an Imgur user shared a purported image of Earth “from the side of the Pacific Ocean”: Underneath an image without a labeled source, text read: The Earth is almost never shown like this, and in the meantime, this is our p
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Apparently in Luxembourg Your Commute Is Part of Your Workday …’
On January 2 2022, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of the following tweet, describing putative paid commutes in Luxembourg: Apparently in Luxembourg your commute is part of your workday and that made me wonder how cities would look different if the
Truth or Fiction?→ The Betty White Challenge
The late December 2021 death of cultural icon Betty White prompted an outpouring of tributes — and suggestions about how to best honor her life. On January 1 2022, posts about a “Betty White Challenge” began circulating across platfo
Truth or Fiction?→ Sculpture by Manuel Oliver, Father of Parkland Victim Joaquin Oliver
On December 20 2021, Imgur user SisterMidnight shared the image below, titled “Joaquin Oliver’s life ended at 17 years old at his high school in Parkland, Florida. His father, Manuel, sculpted this and my heart is shredded”: A December 1
Truth or Fiction?→ ’48 Pictures of the Sun’
On December 7 2021, a Facebook user shared a post purportedly depicting “48 pictures of the sun”: The post appeared to be a screenshot of an earlier post with text added to the image. It did not include any contextual information like the
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Jimmy Carter Help Stop a Nuclear Reactor from Melting Down?
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s first-hand encounter with nuclear power received newfound attention in December 2021 — thanks, as usual, to social media. When he was 28 years old, Carter — at that point a scientist in the U.S. Na
Truth or Fiction?→ Mayfield, Kentucky Theater Image
In the aftermath of a deadly series of tornadoes on December 10 2021, a purported photograph of a damaged theater in Mayfield, Kentucky spread virally on Twitter: This picture from the aftermath of the Kentucky tornadoes has to be the picture of the
Truth or Fiction?→ Jim Finch and the Mayfield Tornado
After devastating tornadoes wrought havoc in several states in December 2021, social media posts about a man named Jim Finch helping Mayfield, Kentucky residents (among the hardest hit) spread virally. A Facebook post with a still image read: This man
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘When You Meet a Member of the Ku Klux Klan’
On December 13 2021, a poem titled “When You Meet a Member of the Ku Klux Klan” spread virally on Facebook and Twitter: The poem read as follows: When You Meet A Member Of The Ku Klux Klan Robert L. Poston (1921) When you meet a member of
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The New Mural on the Side of the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, MD’
On December 9 2021, a Facebook user shared the following image of a mural depicting Harriet Tubman: Text at the top of the image read: The new mural on the side of the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, MD. At the bottom, a signature appeared. It rea
Truth or Fiction?→ Grapefruit Antidepressants Overdose Warning
On December 7 2021, a Facebook user shared the following status update, warning that eating grapefruit while on antidepressants could have major unintended consequences: Since grapefruit season is coming up soon, this is a friendly reminder that you CA
Truth or Fiction?→ Charles Schulz on Peanuts’ Franklin: ‘Print It Just the Way I Draw It or I Quit’
On December 9 2021, an Imgur account shared a meme with the claim that the creator of the popular Peanuts cartoon series, Charles Schulz, threatened to quit his work over demands that he “eliminate” Franklin, the only Black character in th
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ben Franklin Left Money to Boston’
On December 9 2021, Imgur user rippinro shared the following meme, claiming that Benjamin Franklin left $2,000 to young people in Boston and Philadelphia in his will: Underneath a portrait of Franklin, text read: Benjamin Franklin left $2,000 to Bosto
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If the Minimum Wage Increased at the Rate of Productivity Since 1960, It’d Be $24 Today—Not $7.25’
On December 8 2021, Imgur user Lanhdanan shared a screenshot of a tweet claiming that if the federal minimum wage rose in concert with worker productivity, it would be $24 an hour in 2021. That image showed a December 5 2021 tweet by user Qasim Rashid:
Truth or Fiction?→ The Newsmax ‘Vlad the Great’ Cover
On December 7 and 8 2021, a Newsmax “Vlad the Great” cover photograph circulated on social media platforms like Imgur and Twitter: For anyone who thinks Newsmax is anything but Russian disinformation, here is the cover of Newsmax Magazine
Truth or Fiction?→ Shelf Life of Mifepristone and Misoprostol
As discourse about the future legality of abortion continued on December 6 2021, an Imgur user shared a screenshot of two tweets addressing the shelf lives of mifepristone and misoprostol — two drugs known to terminate a pregnancy: In the depict
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Dolly Turned Down a Medal of Freedom from Trump, Twice’
On December 7 2021, Imgur user AustinKocher shared what appeared to be a screenshot of his own tweet, claiming that music icon Dolly Parton “turned down” a Medal of Freedom offered by former United States President Donald Trump — and
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Texas Gave Up Land For Slavery’
On December 5 2021, a Facebook user shared the following screenshot, which shows a conversation about Texas giving up some of its land to Oklahoma in order to preserve slavery: Depicted was a Tumblr post based on this September 8 2021 tweet (in which
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Most Detailed Image of a Human Cell’
On November 27 2021, a Facebook user shared what they described as a photograph of “the most detailed model of a human cell to date”: Alongside the image, text appeared (but no links or citations). It read: This photo is the most detailed
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Albedo,’ ‘Bright Darkness,’ and ‘Snowglow’
On December 1 2021, the Facebook page “Vellum and Vinyl” shared a screenshot of the following Tumblr post, discussing “albedo” — a measurement of reflectivity and the “bright darkness” caused by snowfall after
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Minnesota Keeps the Original Confederate Flag’ and Refuses to Return It?
On December 1 2021, a Facebook page shared a Tumblr screenshot, claiming that Minnesota “keeps the original Confederate flag hidden”: On November 17 2021, an account on r/tumblr shared the same screenshot (and others, in a larger set), in
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘In Greece, If You Are Over 60 and Not Vaccinated, You Will Be Fined 100 Euros a Month’
On December 1 2021, Imgur user athansTaker shared a meme about a purportedly looming fine for unvaccinated people in Greece over the age of 60: Across an unrelated photograph of a blue frog in a tree, text read: In Greece, if you are over 60 and not
Truth or Fiction?→ Bass Pro Shops, 7th Largest Pyramid in the World?
On November 25 2021, an Imgur account shared the following meme declaring that the seventh largest pyramid in the world was a Bass Pro Shops location: Text over an admittedly impressive pyramid bearing a “Bass Pro Shops” logo read: Can
Truth or Fiction?→ Japan ‘Santa Crucified’ Christmas Meme
On November 26 2021, an Imgur meme dump featured a long-circulating image labeled “in Japan, they don’t fully understand Christmas yet,” involving a photograph purportedly depicting a crucified Santa Claus: Two weeks earlier, an Imgu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Don’t Do Drugs’ Pencil
On November 22 2021, Imgur user CeleryMan7 shared a meme about a “don’t do drugs pencil” and its purported recall in the 1990s: At the top of the image was text reading “These pencils that recalled in the 1990s for obvious reas