Facebook Twitter Tumblr Close Skip to main content
A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Social Media Posts Use Graphic, Unrelated Photos to Smear BLM Protesters

Social Media Posts Use Graphic, Unrelated Photos to Smear BLM Protesters

Posts circulating on social media this summer falsely claimed that Black Lives Matter activists were responsible for the beating of five elderly white people shown in the posts’ photos. But the pictures have been online for at least five years — and most early uses identify the photos as originating in South Africa.

Trump, Hahn Mischaracterize Data on COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma

Trump, Hahn Mischaracterize Data on COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma

In a hyped press briefing the eve before the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump falsely said that convalescent plasma had been “proven to reduce mortality by 35%,” even though the therapy has not yet been shown to be effective for COVID-19.

Misleading Claim Swirls Over Pledge of Allegiance at DNC

Misleading Claim Swirls Over Pledge of Allegiance at DNC

The prime-time programming for the Democratic National Convention every night on TV included a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, including the phrase “under God.” Two individual Democratic caucuses omitted those words during daytime meetings — prompting claims that misleadingly suggested they were dropped throughout the convention.

False Claims on Corporate Donations to Black Lives Matter

False Claims on Corporate Donations to Black Lives Matter

Posts on social media repeat an error reported by Lou Dobbs on Fox Business in July, claiming that major corporations were donating large sums of money to Black Lives Matter. The companies have pledged support for racial equality initiatives, but haven’t specified Black Lives Matter as a beneficiary.

Republican Convention Opening Night

Republican Convention Opening Night

On Day 1, Republicans made numerous false and misleading claims on tax cuts, the economy, immigration and COVID-19, among other topics.

Trump’s Talking Points

Trump’s Talking Points

A compendium of the president’s falsehoods and factual distortions that may be repeated during the convention.

New ‘Plandemic’ Video Peddles Misinformation, Conspiracies

New ‘Plandemic’ Video Peddles Misinformation, Conspiracies

The second part of “Plandemic” — a documentary-style video that presents a sweeping conspiracy theory about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, patents and vaccines — landed on Aug. 18, spinning together many of the falsehoods about the disease that we’ve been debunking for months, plus some new misleading claims.

Posts Take Old Photos of Biden, Harris Out of Context

Posts Take Old Photos of Biden, Harris Out of Context

Facebook posts are using out-of-context photos to suggest Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, are not abiding by public health recommendations regarding face masks. The photos are from early March, before face masks were recommended by federal health officials.

Video: FactChecking the Democratic National Convention

Video: FactChecking the Democratic National Convention

This video reviews some of the statements that we fact-checked during the Democratic National Convention, which ended Aug. 20 with former Vice President Joe Biden accepting his party’s nomination for president.