An April 30 2019 text-based Facebook post (archived here) claiming that 2012 gun control legislation in Venezuela prompted political unrest was shared over 100,000 times in a few days: The status update, which came in text form without news links or other form of citation or context, and it drew a direct line between purported …
Are Venezuelans Being ‘Shot in the Streets’ After a 2012 Gun Ban? Read More »
On April 26 2019, a Facebook user shared a screenshot (archived here) of another post, which provided an alarming account of complex abduction attempts purportedly occurring in Ontario, California. The original post was shared by an account with the name Barbie Bazzett Klepper, and it told the story of a purported narrowly avoided abduction at …
Did Ontario, California Confirm Kidnappers are Drugging and Abducting Children? Read More »
Traditionally, April Fools’ Day is a major “internet holiday” — but in recent years, roundups have largely consisted of a series of commercials designed to go viral on social media. Here is a list of April Fools’ Day 2019 pranks we’re updating throughout the day:
A March 24 2019 post on the Facebook page “Breast is Best without Fear” (archived here) featured a purported image of different milks expressed by the “same mama,” thanks to nursing children of different ages and with separate needs: In its center was a photograph of two bottles of breastmilk — one thin and dark yellow …
On February 28 2019, the Facebook page “I am not a dictator” shared the following meme (archived here), alleging that President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen was once the personal lawyer of Hillary Clinton and/or the Clinton Foundation: A photograph of Clinton (left), Cohen (center), and an unidentified individual was captioned: MICHAEL COHEN USED TO …
Was Michael Cohen Hillary Clinton’s ‘Personal Lawyer’? Read More »
On February 20 2019 the Facebook page “Medicare for All” shared a following meme contrasting the purported costs of health care coverage in the United States versus the United Kingdom (and alleging that Americans prefer their system): The meme showed a screenshot of a Tumblr user commenting on a screenshot of a tweet. The first user …
Does the UK’s National Health Service Cost £10 a Month vs $2,500 For American Insurance? Read More »
In early February 2019, a number of outlets began reporting on the “Peppa effect,” a purported trend causing American preschoolers who watched the show to speak in British accents. The claims were virtually guaranteed to achieve viral traction, probably owing to the number of parents across the United States whose young children watched the often …
Is ‘Peppa Pig’ Giving American Kids British Accents? Read More »
On February 10 2019, NBC managing editor Dafna Linzer shared the following image and caption (subsequently transcribed) on Twitter: The tweet stated that the “stark photo taken this week in Knoxville tells a very different story about the economy,” and it included what appeared to be a caption from a news item: People in need of …
In January 2019, the Facebook page “Wild at Heart Rescue” shared the following illustration while claiming that it is dangerous — even potentially lethal — to feed bread to ducks: The drawings depicted waterfowl and the text said: Please don’t kill us with bread! [image of ducks] Bread is actually a danger to us ducks …
On January 7 2019, the following status update appeared on social media and quickly went viral: Caught using cell phone, or holding it while driving- $999 fine and 3 yr suspended license as of Jan.2019! Ouch…be aware folks!! No specific jurisdiction was mentioned in the post, and we were unable to find any firm or even speculative …
Can You Now Be Fined $999 for Holding a Phone in Your Car? Read More »
