Did ‘Black Friday’ Originally Refer to the Sale of Enslaved Men?
A false claim about the big shopping day spread further amid a real campaign for human rights.
Disinformation
Were Blood Oranges from Libya Injected with HIV?
Algerian immigration services discovered that oranges from Libya had been injected with blood that tested positive for HIV or AIDS. A similar version of the eRumor reports that canned fruit from Thailand was found to be contaminated with HIV-positive blood.
Do Girl Scout Cookies Fund Planned Parenthood?
Right-wing groups and social media users have long attempted to use reproductive choice to smear the Girl Scouts.
Were Millions of Turkeys Recalled in 2014 Because of an Avian Flu Outbreak?
A “satirical” blog’s post about a risk to Thanksgiving seemed less funny just a year later.
Did Hurricane Katrina Cause Gasoline Rationing?
Finally, a chain email so flimsy it actually stopped circulating.
Did Hillary Clinton ‘Cut in Line’ for Thanksgiving Dinner with Troops in Afghanistan?
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s November 2003 visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan was spun into a fanciful tale of liberal pique online, framed in some iterations as a concerned email from an actual veteran. Clinton, who was a senator representing New York state at the time, did indeed visit Bagram Air Base on …
Did Hillary Clinton ‘Cut in Line’ for Thanksgiving Dinner with Troops in Afghanistan? Read More »
Did a Veterans’ Hospital Refuse to Allow ‘Merry Christmas’ Cards to be Delivered?
A Texas facility was the setting for one of two false claims from disinformation purveyor Todd Starnes.
Did Pat Sajak Insult People Worried About Climate Change on Twitter?
A March 2014 tweet showed Sajak’s descent from “skeptical” to mockery of the climate change phenomenon.
Did a Maryland School Require Students To Cross Dress?
Parents are aghast after finding out that the staff at Heritage Middle School have required students to cross dress for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) Appreciation Day.
Do Unauthorized Immigrants Cost U.S. Taxpayers $338.3 Billion a Year?
Illegal aliens cost federal, state and local governments $338.3 billion a year.