Q: Is Ivanka Trump being fired from the White House?
A: No. That rumor comes from a headline posted on a group of questionable websites.
Ivanka Trump Hasn’t Been Fired
Issues: falsehoods
Georgia Didn’t Ban Muslim Culture
Q: Did Georgia “ban Muslim culture”?
A: No. A headline making that claim is based on a proposed state bill that never became law.
Shaking the Bushes for Quote About Trump
Q: Did George W. Bush say he doesn’t approve of the media’s treatment of Donald Trump?
A: No. That statement is based on a misrepresentation of what the former president said a year ago.
School Shooting Spawns Conspiracy Theories
The internet has been rife with rumors about the school shooting that left 17 dead in Florida on Feb. 14. We’ve debunked several of them.
No ‘Crisis Actors’ in Parkland, Florida
Q: Are the students who survived the Florida school shooting really “crisis actors”?
A: No. Conspiracy theories have been spreading online to undercut students advocating stricter gun control.
Made-up Michelle Obama Quote
Q: Did Michelle Obama say that the school shooting in Florida was President Donald Trump’s fault?
A: No. That claim is circulating on dubious websites. The former first lady hasn’t said anything like that publicly.
Horner Hoax Remix
Q: Was a teen sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing a refugee who raped his sister?
A: No. That is a made-up headline on an old internet hoax story.
No Black Lives Matter Embezzlement Scandal
Q: Was a Black Lives Matter activist sued after stealing millions of dollars in donations?
A: No. That scandal was made up by a website that calls itself satirical.
Why the Truth Still Matters
Editor’s note: A version of this opinion piece by our director, Brooks Jackson, first appeared on the website of the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper under the headline “Fact-checking the truthiness of the 2012 campaign” and is re-posted here with permission.
Let’s face it, voters love to hear falsehoods.
Mitt Romney proclaims that President Obama’s health care law is a “federal takeover of the U.S. health care system,” and his supporters approve. Obama’s people nodded in agreement when the president said “if you like your health care plan,
Why Do They Do It?
Why do politicians persist in peddling exaggerations, twisted facts and outright falsehoods? Here's a theory from a veteran political reporter.
Jon Keller of WBZ in Boston offered up his explanation in his "Keller @ Large" commentary for Sept. 15. It was prompted by our coverage of the recent Republican presidential candidates' debate and our criticism of President Obama's jobs speech.
We were flattered by the nice mention, of course. But what really caught our attention was Keller's conclusion:
Jon Keller,