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
Publication: viral videos
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘First Recorded Snowball Fight’
A December 11 2022 tweet from History in Pictures (@HistoryInPics) purportedly depicted the first recorded snowball fight in 1897: First ever recorded snowball fight (1897) pic.twitter.com/c6t6A0Mgo0 — History In Pictures (@HistoryInPics) Decem
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Reporter Wears Grape Costume to Defend Boy Suspended for Banana Suit’
An August 3 2022 post to Reddit (featured on r/all) featured a meme about a reporter wearing a “grape costume” as he interviewed a boy who had been suspended from school for wearing a “banana suit”: Fruit of the Loom,
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Here’s to Politicians Using TikTok Properly’
On July 17 2022, a Twitter account shared a short TikTok clip by “kenforflorida,” described as “politicians using TikTok properly”: Here’s to politicians using TikTok properly lmao pic.twitter.com/VY7kOgjgE8 — Sonia B
Truth or Fiction?→ NYC Nuclear Attack Emergency PSA
On July 11 2022, a disturbing public service announcement purportedly created by the New York City Emergency Management Department began circulating on Twitter and TikTok: I'm sure its nothing.. but.. NYC has started running this ad.. can't i
Truth or Fiction?→ Simplisafe Fireworks Video
On July 5 2022, footage often described as the “Simplisafe fireworks video” was shared on several platforms, including Reddit’s r/AbruptChaos (titled “Best finale ever”): Best finale ever from AbruptChaos
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘San Diego Lights All the Fireworks at Once’
On July 4 2022, a Reddit account shared an informatively titled post to r/funny, “happy 4th of July folks it’s the 11th anniversary of the infamous San Diego fireworks show where they all went off at once”: happy 4th of Jul
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This is What a Dial Up Modem Connection Looks Like on the Spectrogram (DTMF Handshake and Call)
On April 21 2022, an Imgur account shared video of what was apparently a visual representation of “what a dial up modem connection looks like on the spectrogram,” a post that evoked nostalgia for those who populated the early internet: Thi
Truth or Fiction?→ Pembroke Pines ‘Don’t Say Gay’ School Walkout
On March 22 2022, Twitter user @diabeyonce shared a purported video showing high school students conducting a protest walkout against Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill: i am in full blown tears dude pic.twitter.com
Truth or Fiction?→ Marjorie Taylor Greene: ‘If You Look at the Ice Ages, None of the People Back in the Ices Ages Paid a Bunch of Taxes to Melt the Ice’
On January 6 2022, a Twitter thread addressed comments about climate change and “ice ages” taxes purportedly made by Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) the previous night during an appearance on Tim Pool’s podcast: &
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Robin Test Footage’
On October 12 and 13 2021, a video titled “Robin Test Footage” spread across social media, often described as a scene from an in-the-works biopic: ROBIN Test Footage Scene from videos A top comment thread on the pos
Truth or Fiction?→ Most Hospitals ‘Legally Have to Forgive Your Medical Bills’ if You Make Under 300 Percent of the Federal Poverty Line
On September 23 2021, an Imgur user shared a TikTok video in which a user claims that most hospitals have to “legally forgive your medical bills” if you earn less than 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines”: Reposting for the
Truth or Fiction?→ Statue of Buddha in a Flood
On August 2 2021, an Imgur account shared a TikTok clip, which purportedly showed a Buddha statue carried through floodwaters down a busy street: Later Fools! Shared by u/GIFBATTLECADDLE, the clip was titled “Later Fools!” On August 1 202
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Friendly Roast in 2015,’ ‘HRC Being Roasted’
In July 2021, a TikTok video was shared to Facebook, bearing the labels “Friendly Roast in 2015” and “HRC Being Roasted” — purportedly showing former U.S. President Donald Trump “roasting” former Democratic pre
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Victoria’s Secret Meltdown’ Video
“Get away from me” trended on Twitter on July 13 2021, after a woman named Ijeoma Ukenta filmed a bizarre encounter with a woman named Abigail Elphick in a New Jersey Victoria’s Secret store. Ukenta first shared a multi-part video of
Truth or Fiction?→ Donald Rumsfeld and Mount Misery
A July 1 2021 Facebook image of an unassuming house was shared after the death of former United States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, alongside a post and video link claiming that the Bush administration official purchased and had lived at a place
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Ashleigh Shackelford Teaching Critical Race Theory’ Video
On June 13 2021, Twitter user @ConceptualJames shared a video which purportedly shows artist and activist Hunter Ashleigh Shackelford teaching critical race theory: "All white people are racist…" "No, you're always going to
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Traffic Reporter Meltdown on Live Television’
On May 5 2021, video of purported traffic reporter Anavid Reyes “having a meltdown” on live television appeared on Reddit’s r/funny: This traffic reporter has a meltdown and show how ridiculous his job really is. from
Truth or Fiction?→ Gorilla Glue Hair Lawsuit, Explained
On February 8 2020, a social media rumor about a woman (Tessica Brown, or @im_d_ollady) purportedly intending to “sue” Gorilla Glue for damage to her hair began circulating: “Your honor, I’m suing Gorilla Glue for pain & sufferin
Truth or Fiction?→ Twisted Tea Circle K Fight Video Spreads Virally
On December 24 2020, “Twisted Tea” became a popular trending term in the wake of footage showing an altercation at an Ohio Circle-K. Footage of the incident, which involved racial slurs and a can of Twisted Tea, was shared to r/PublicFrea
Truth or Fiction?→ Mellissa Carone, Dominion Subcontractor, Goes Viral After Bizarre Michigan ‘Hearing’ Appearance
On December 2 2020, video of “a drunk woman” acting as a witness for purported and nonexistent election fraud went viral, due in part to the following tweet: a drunk woman is trump team’s star witness in michigan pic.twitter.com/qGxEI3
Truth or Fiction?→ Chris Watts and Ring Footage with a ‘Fetus and a Skull in Oil’ in ‘American Murder’
Netflix’s American Murder documentary was popular enough in October 2020 to generate a storm of conspiracy theories, and among widely-discussed elements was a purported “coincidence” during which Chris Watts is questioned by police &
Truth or Fiction?→ Ghost in the Watts Family Documentary ‘American Murder’
An October 8 2020 Daily Mail article headlined “Man claims there is a ‘GHOST’ of a little girl in new Netflix documentary about family killer Chris Watts, insisting he can see the spirit in the background of police bodycam footage
Truth or Fiction?→ Ghost in the Watts Family Documentary ‘American Murder’
An October 8 2020 Daily Mail article headlined “Man claims there is a ‘GHOST’ of a little girl in new Netflix documentary about family killer Chris Watts, insisting he can see the spirit in the background of police bodycam footage
Truth or Fiction?→ Tucker Carlson: ‘Well, If That’s What Democratic Socialism is, Then I’m Basically on Board.’
On September 18 2020, Twitter user Alexandra Halaby shared what became a viral tweet — it claimed that Dr. Cornel West appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show and got Carlson to admit that he was “basically on board” with de
Truth or Fiction?→ United States Marine on TikTok Shares Viral Mask Rant: ‘It’s Called a Dress Code, Kevin!’
On July 21 2020, U.S. Marine Timmy Byrnes (@timmyb100) shared what would become a viral TikTok post about Americans refusing to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the afternoon of July 23 2020, Byrnes’ video had been viewed nearly two
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Might Get One of These for the Garden’ Video
On July 9 2020, the Facebook page “Stanton Warriors” shared the following difficult-to-describe video (“might get one of these for the garden”), showing what appeared to be a lone, seated woman getting thrown around by a mechan
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Dad, How Do I?’ YouTube Channel Goes Massively Viral During COVID-19 Lockdown
On May 19 2020, a Facebook user shared the following text, alongside a screenshot of a YouTube channel called “Dad, How Do I?” (with an edit included after the post began rapidly spreading): This YouTuber’s dad walked out on his family w
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Ventura County COVID-19 Testing and Removing Children from Homes?
Among early May 2020 rumors about “forced testing” Americans for COVID-19 (occasionally with increasingly hysterical rumors about purported home intrusions under H.R. 6666) was a consistent claim that the government sought to remove childr
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Kellyanne Conway Say ‘This Isn’t COVID-1, Folks’ on Fox News?
On April 15 2020, a viral tweet asserted Trump White House advisor Kellyanne Conway appeared on Fox News, stating “this isn’t COVID-1” when discussing challenges posed by the novel coronavirus and COVID-19: Kellyanne Conway: "
Truth or Fiction?→ Bloomberg on ‘Some Guy in a Dress’ and ‘He, She, or It’ in 2019
In February 2020, “newly resurfaced” video of Mike Bloomberg purportedly showing the former New York City mayor describing transgender women as “some guy in a dress” and using “it” in lieu of a pronoun appeared ju
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Powerful American Stories Ripped to Shreds by Nancy Pelosi’
On February 6 2020, United States President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) shared a disinformation video on Twitter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, apparently “ripping … powerful American stories to shreds”: pic.twitter.com/QhTWvc
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump ‘Break My Stride’ Tweets
On January 18 2020, Twitter users shared the following video that purportedly showed a screenshot of United States President Donald Trump’s recent tweets — which taken together, formed the lyrics to “Break My Stride,” a 1983 pop s
Truth or Fiction?→ NikkieTutorials (Nikkie de Jager) Comes Out as Transgender
On January 13 2020, YouTube star Nikkie de Jager — known to her fans as NikkieTutorials — revealed in a 17-minute video that she is transgender: I’m coming out. https://t.co/chLHURZKk4 — NikkieTutorials (@NikkieTutorials) January 13, 2
Truth or Fiction?→ United States Air Traffic on September 11, 2001
In September 2019, approaching the eighteenth anniversary of September 11th 2011, a Reddit user shared the following GIF purportedly depicting United States air traffic during and after the attacks to r/DamnThatsInteresting: U.S. Air Traffi
Truth or Fiction?→ Does Video Show Police Spraying Fake Blood on Themselves During a Philadelphia Shooting?
On August 15 2019, the conspiracy-oriented Facebook page “True News 4 U’s” shared a video (archived here) of police officers in Philadelphia purportedly spraying “fake blood” on themselves in the aftermath of a shooting.
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Only People Under 40 Hear This Sound?
In July 2019 a number of posts circulated Facebook, all of which linked to video of a 15000 Hz/15 kHz frequency sound that is purportedly only audible to people younger than 40. One iteration (archived here) accrued a large number of shares. Its origi
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘That’s One Way to Escape the Police’ Ferrari Video
On July 19, the Facebook page “LADbible” shared video of a risky driving maneuver by a Ferrari, displaying the label “That’s one way to escape the police… 😱🚨”: The smooth and highly realistic footage seemed
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Gyro Drop’ Ride Video
On June 13 2019, @Complex tweeted the following footage, purportedly showing a ride called “Gyro Drop” and its “swing” feature: WHO WOULD INVENT A RIDE LIKE THIS??? pic.twitter.com/moRN6N4UbV — Complex (@Complex) June 13
Truth or Fiction?→ Wave of Garbage On the Dominican Republic’s Coast?
On March 18 2019 the Facebook page “Ascend (Podcast)” shared the following video (archived here), purportedly showing the shores of the Dominican Republic two days earlier: The status update read: ‘DEAD” Sea……&#