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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Misinformation About Face Masks

Misinformation About Face Masks

A growing body of evidence supports the use of masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the effectiveness of masks is now being challenged again. Here we summarize some of our work over the past 16 months, based on categories of misinformation about masking.

Biden and Buttigieg Overstate Jobs Impact from Infrastructure Bill

Biden and Buttigieg Overstate Jobs Impact from Infrastructure Bill

President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg overstated the impact of the bipartisan, Senate-approved infrastructure bill on job creation, citing instead an economic forecast that includes the much larger and partisan “human infrastructure” bill.

Post Offers Misleading Advice on Mandatory Vaccines and Unemployment Benefits

Post Offers Misleading Advice on Mandatory Vaccines and Unemployment Benefits

As some companies mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees, a social media post misleadingly tells workers who don’t want the vaccine that they can collect unemployment benefits if they are fired. In most states, workers fired for violating company policy aimed at workplace safety are not entitled to unemployment benefits.

Indiana Doctor Piles On Bogus COVID-19 Claims in Viral Video

Indiana Doctor Piles On Bogus COVID-19 Claims in Viral Video

In a viral video, an Indiana physician baselessly claimed that the COVID-19 vaccines, which have been shown to be safe and effective, “fight the virus wrong and let the virus become worse than it would with native infection.” He also incorrectly said no vaccine prevents infection and contended that people previously infected with COVID-19 do not benefit from vaccination, despite studies that suggest otherwise.

Tax Credit for Plug-in Electric Vehicles Still Available for Certain Models

Tax Credit for Plug-in Electric Vehicles Still Available for Certain Models

Dozens of electric cars and trucks still qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for buyers purchasing new plug-in electric vehicles. President Joe Biden misleadingly claimed that the Trump administration allowed the tax credit to expire, which, so far, is only the case for purchases of models made by Tesla and General Motors.

Pfizer CEO Got the COVID-19 Vaccine

Pfizer CEO Got the COVID-19 Vaccine

The CEO of Pfizer posted a photo of himself getting the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on March 10. But an Aug. 5 tweet from Newsmax reporter Emerald Robinson misleadingly suggested he isn’t vaccinated. She updated the tweet hours later, acknowledging the CEO’s post — but after her claim had spread, uncorrected, on other social media.

Posts Misinterpret CDC’s Provincetown COVID-19 Outbreak Report

Posts Misinterpret CDC’s Provincetown COVID-19 Outbreak Report

Social media posts are misinterpreting the results of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, which found 74% of people in a COVID-19 outbreak were vaccinated, to argue against immunization. But experts say the statistic is misleading without more context — and doesn’t mean that the vaccines don’t work.

The Facts on Capitol Police’s Tampa Office

The Facts on Capitol Police’s Tampa Office

In a July 6 press release about changes the U.S. Capitol Police is making in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, the agency announced it is adding field offices in Tampa and San Francisco to investigate threats against members of Congress.

Sequencing Used to Identify Delta, Other Coronavirus Variants

Sequencing Used to Identify Delta, Other Coronavirus Variants

Researchers use genomic sequencing — not the clinical tests used to diagnose patients with COVID-19 — to identify and track specific variants of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, including the highly contagious delta variant. But viral posts try to deny the existence of the variant by misleadingly claiming there is “no ‘Delta Variant’ test.”