On August 14 2019, the Facebook page “Freaked” shared the following post of the “most chilling mushrooms” in the world, a post that became popular ahead of Halloween that year: Above four purported examples of mushrooms (an
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Lead Stories→ Fake News: Florida Fisherman NOT Lost at Sea For 14 Days, Did NOT Claim He Was Sexually Assaulted by Mermaids
Was 72-year-old fisherman Alvin McCallister rescued after being shipwrecked and did he claim to have been sexually assaulted by mermaids? No, that's not true: the story was made up by a Canadian entertainment website that makes a living by pub
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Lindsey Graham Did NOT Endorse The Green New Deal In Ad
Did Senator Lindsey Graham endorse the Green New Deal proposed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? No, that's not true: a video ad from The Really Online Lefty League falsely created that impression by using deceptive editing. The ad was created in
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook ‘News’ Service to Include ‘Diverse’ Category, Sites Associated With White Nationalism
Facebook has announced a news service aimed at providing users with a “personalized” slate of stories from four different types of categories: general, topical, local, and “diverse”: Diversity publishers as those focused on key
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Spin on AIDS Epidemic
In his campaign rally speeches, President Donald Trump often boasts of his administration’s plan to end the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. in 10 years. It’s true he has proposed funding for that initiative, but he’s wrong to say “the previou
FactCheck.org→ Sanders Misleads on Family Health Care Costs
Sen. Bernie Sanders continues to make the misleading claim that “the average family of four spends $28,000 a year on health care.” That’s the projected average cost for employer-sponsored health insurance for “typical” families of
Truth or Fiction?→ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Grills Facebook Chief Executive Officer Over Fact-Checking, Political Ads
Democratic Party Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenged Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg on his policy allowing disinformation to be run in political advertisements on the social media platform during the tech magnate’s testimo
FactCheck.org→ Mulvaney’s Spin on Ukraine Aid
White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney engaged in some serious political spin when he tried to deny what he said in a televised press conference: that the White House withheld security aid to Ukraine, in part, because the administration wanted
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Error-filled Cabinet Meeting
For more than an hour, President Donald Trump presided over a cabinet meeting, reeling off numerous false or misleading claims: Trump claimed, without evidence, that President Barack Obama tried to call North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “11 times” b
Truth or Fiction?→ Cream of Tartar and Orange Juice to Quit Smoking?
In October 2019, a post circulated on Facebook advising smokers to use potassium bitartrate — commonly known as cream of tartar — along with orange juice as an effective and inexpensive way to quit smoking successfully. Alongside a blurry image
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Coney Island Sideshow Save Hundreds of Premature Babies in the Early 1900s?
On October 15 2019, a Facebook post with images relayed a purported history of neonatology and the role of a man named Dr. Martin Couney, who created a sideshow of tiny infants as a way of covering the costs of saving premature babies: Black-and-w
Truth or Fiction?→ Can Consuming Too Much Coffee Under Stress Cause Schizophrenia Symptoms?
On October 15 2019, the Facebook page “Weird Facts” shared the following “fact meme,” which claimed that the combination of a lot of coffee and a lot of stress could cause symptoms of schizophrenia — presumably in people no
Lead Stories→ Fake News: It’s NOT Official, Michelle Obama NOT Running For President
Is Michelle Obama running for president and is it official now? No, that's not true. The story was published by a liberal satire website that tries to mislead Trump supporters and Republicans into sharing made up stories that are clearly marke
FactCheck.org→ The Facts on Mental Illness and Mass Shootings
Q: Do people with serious mental health disorders pose a greater risk of becoming mass shooters? A: People with mental illnesses are somewhat more likely to be violent than those without a diagnosis. But a majority are never violent, and very little is
FactCheck.org→ Obama Didn’t Authorize ‘Lying’ by the Media
Quick Take Social media posts falsely claim that former President Barack Obama signed a bill that made it permissible for “the media” to get “away with lying.” The bill had no bearing on private media outlets or what they can re
PolitiFact→ In context: Mick Mulvaney on quid pro quo
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney triggered a wave of news alerts when he told reporters that President Donald Trump held up aid to Ukraine in part to leverage the country’s help in investigating the 2016 hacking of the Democratic N
Climate Feedback→ Telegraph article on climate change mixes accurate and unsupported, inaccurate claims, misleads with false balance
SCIENTISTS’ FEEDBACK SUMMARY This article in The Telegraph attempts to discuss the science of observed global warming and the factors responsible. However, mixed in with some accurate factual statements are claims that give readers the impress
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Man’s Penis Did NOT Explode After Attempting to Inflate It With Helium
Did an unnamed 34-year old man try to inflate his penis with helium for a prank and did he end up blowing up his penis? No, that's not true: the events described in the story did not happen in Crystal Lake, Illinois (and also not in Clarkston,
PolitiFact→ What’s the manufacturing job killer, automation or trade?
The Democratic debate in Ohio stirred up a heated exchange on a basic economic question: Did robots hollow out American manufacturing? Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has said that blaming job losses on automation is a myth, and CNN’s Erin
Truth or Fiction?→ Mount Rushmore Before Carving
In October 2019, a post circulated showing a natural rock formation known as “Six Grandfathers” before it was carved into what most Americans now call “Mount Rushmore.” The original tweet was shared in July 2017 by @TheAriDee:
FactCheck.org→ Posts Put Words in Thomas Jefferson’s Mouth
Quick Take Facebook posts in support of President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection erroneously claim that former President Thomas Jefferson once said “the government will one day be corrupt and filled with liars, and the people will flock to the
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Burning Sage Does NOT Kills 94% Of Airborne Bacteria, Disease-Causing Strains Stay Gone For 30 Days
Does burning sage kill 94% of airborne bacteria with disease-causing strains staying gone for 30 days? No, that's not true: A study published in India in 2007 did conclude that one hour of exposure to smoke from the burning of havan samagri, a
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Chick-fil-A Funding Anti-Gay Violence in Uganda?
On October 12 2019, the following tweet appeared and renewed interest in claims that chicken-themed fast-food chain Chick-fil-A directly funded violent, anti-gay political movements and laws in Uganda: Today Uganda announced a bill to legalize murde
Truth or Fiction?→ Trump Administration Rushes To Distance Itself From Massacre Video at Far-Right ‘Meme Event’
United States President Donald Trump’s administration and other right-wing figures attempted to distance themselves on October 14 2019 from a violent propaganda video, as coverage spread of a scene altered to depict Trump gunning down his “
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Columbus Set Out to Prove the Earth Was Round’
In October 2019, a number of memes about the legacy of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus circulated on Facebook around Columbus Day, among them a meme about the claim that he “proved” that Earth is round: In the above meme, the
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Raw Pumpkin Seeds NOT PROVEN As A De-Wormer For Chickens
Are raw pumpkin seeds a reliable de-wormer for your chickens? No, that's not true: Feeding your brood pumpkin seeds to rid them of worms might not hurt them, but there is no evidence that it will help, either. It's a tough problem for farmers
Truth or Fiction?→ Do Four in Ten Cancer Patients Really Lose Their Life Savings?
An October 11 2019 Imgur repost of a Bernie Sanders tweet appeared alongside the caption “this is how you know he would fight for the people if he is elected our president”: That tweet read: It’s not coincidental that the top health
Snopes→ Arrest of Giuliani Associates Ensnares ‘Congressman 1’
Businessmen with ties to Rudy Giuliani lobbied a U.S. congressman in 2018 for help ousting the American ambassador to Ukraine around the same time they committed to raising money for the lawmaker.
Truth or Fiction?→ Disinformation Peddlers Push ‘October 16th’ Conspiracy Theory
A gaggle of specious blogs and social media accounts set about inflaming tensions for their followers in a set of posts reminiscent of other fake controversies. The posts center on vaguely-worded “threats” and wide-ranging military deploym
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Claims About Hunter Biden in China
President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Hunter Biden, without evidence, of making millions of dollars in a “payoff” from China, after accompanying his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, on a 2013 diplomatic trip to Beijing. The cl
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Toddler Subjected to Months of Abuse Because of a ‘Cookie’ Analogy?
In September 2019, a Facebook user shared an image and a harrowing story about the purported sexual abuse of a toddler that went unreported for months because the young girl supposedly was not taught anatomically correct words: Alongside a photograph
Lead Stories→ Fake News: 12,000 Doctors Did NOT Just Urge the FDA to Put Cancer Warnings on Cheese
Did 12,000 doctors urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to put cancer warnings on cheese? No, that's not true: The vegan advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a petition asking the FDA to put a warning
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Protest Banner Unfurled at Trump’s Las Vegas Hotel?
A protest video against United States President Donald Trump circulated online on October 9 2019 drew heavy attention online for its message on a computer-generated banner: A video shows the “banner” seemingly being unfurled at the Trump
FactCheck.org→ Fact: Trump TV Ad Misleads on Biden and Ukraine
With its candidate the subject of an impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has gone on the offensive with a TV ad that claims to present the “facts” about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Ukr
Truth or Fiction?→ ’95-Year-Old Former President Jimmy Carter Building a House With a Black Eye’ Meme
On October 8 2019, a Reddit user shared the following animated image to r/gifs, purportedly showing former United States president Jimmy Carter building homes for Habitat for Humanity while still visibly recovering from a fall-related injury (as evid
Truth or Fiction?→ Does a Facebook ‘Default Setting’ Sign Users Up for Recurring Donations?
As we have said many times, any Facebook post that begins with a variation of “copied from a friend” should raise suspicions. Despite this, users of the social media platform continue to do their part to spread misinformation and disinform
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Woman’s Butt Implants Did NOT Explode While Working Out At Gym
Did a woman's butt implants explode while working out at a gym? No, that's not true: It is a hoax that has circulated on social media for several years in several versions. One story claims the explosion happened at the gym, while others say i
PolitiFact→ Fact-checking Donald Trump’s claims about Syria and US troop withdrawal
President Donald Trump shocked lawmakers from both parties recently when he announced the United States would be withdrawing troops from the Syrian border with Turkey. Political leaders and military officials said the U.S. troop presence in northeast S
Lead Stories→ Fake News: There is NO Secret Color Code On Toothpaste Tubes
Is there a secret color code hidden on the ends of toothpaste tubes that tells you if it the toothpase contains chemicals or other ingredients? No, that's not true: the colored squares or rectangles on toothpaste tubes are just a marking that
Washington Post→ The GOP theory that Ukraine ‘set up’ Trump
Republicans are pushing three story lines that purport to show that Ukraine targeted Trump in the 2016 election to help Hillary Clinton. Here's a guide to the claims.