hoaxes
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The ‘Real’ History of April Fools’ Day (and Why It Isn’t Funny Anymore)
This Friday is April 1, April Fools’ Day, the annual holiday that celebrates pranking, hoaxes, and all manner of jack-a-napes and tomfoolery. But why? Where did this faux-holiday come from? Why do we do this to each other, and when will we finally just stop?
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Debunk Coronavirus Hoaxes With This WhatsApp Bot
To help slow the seemingly endless spread of COVID-19-related misinformation on social media, the Poynter International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) launched a chatbot on WhatsApp to help you sniff out coronavirus-related hoaxes. The bot cross-references questions sent by users with a database of information collected from over 100 independent fact-checkers to help you convince your friends…
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How To Spot A Fake Trend
1Ankle scarves! What a ridiculous trend! Twitter users are asking each other how something as dumb as “ankle scarves’ could be real. ” Well — and I’m afraid to reveal this, because so many real media outlets are falling for it — it’s not real. It’s an obvious joke. Here’s how it got laundered into…
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Fact-Check That Viral Image In Two Clicks
Major news events such as Hurricane Harvey produce thousands of photos, and thousands more tweets and Facebook posts of fake, outdated or out-of-context photos. This time the big winner is a photoshop of a shark on the freeway which pops up during every major hurricane.