Media Matters Archives

A baseless conspiracy theory is circulating online alleging that Jay Leno lost the gig because of his comments about Barack Obama.

Did Obama Officials Pressure NBC to Replace Jay Leno? A baseless conspiracy theory is circulating online alleging that Leno lost the gig because of...

Yes, USA Today Really Did Publish This Suggestive Heat Wave Graphic To some, it may just be the greatest newspaper graphic ever made.

True

Did the BBC Report There Was ‘No News’ on April 18, 1930? Sometimes all the news doesn't fit because it's too small.

True

Rumors circulated in May 2021 that Merriam-Webster changed or expanded its definition of "anti-vaxxer" in 2021, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Did Merriam-Webster Change Definition of ‘Anti-Vaxxer’ Amid COVID-19? The dictionary came under fire in May 2021, but did the claims against them check...

False

Did ‘England Ban Fox News Because They Saw It as Propaganda’? A widely shared tweet in April 2021 grossly misrepresented the controversial news network's history in...

False

Did Rupert Murdoch Say Fox News Only Cares About Ratings, Not Facts? If they were real, these quotes would be front page news — not meme fodder.

Misattributed

Is This a Real Chicago Tribune Column About Adam Toledo? A Chicago Tribune op-ed generated outrage over its take on the killing of 13-year-old Adam...

Correct Attribution

A Fox and Friends video clip was shared on Twitter with claims about Prince Philips death Oprah Meghan and Harry.

Did ‘Fox & Friends’ Host Blame Harry and Meghan for Philip’s Death? Oprah Winfrey's interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is still stirring controversy.

False

Comparisons to a recent attack on a woman in New York were made to the infamous Kitty Genovese case.

Was an Asian American Woman Attacked on NYC Street but No One Helped Her? The Internet likened a March 2021 assault near Times Square to the notorious death of...

False

Did White House Press Corps Physically Stand for Biden at First News Conference? A former Trump staffer speculated that such a “level of respect” could be “indicative of...

True

Fox News host Sean Hannity caused a stir when he accidentally vaped live on air.

Did Sean Hannity Vape On Air? "Uh-oh," the Fox News host said, looking into the camera.

True

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld who accidentally sang I gotta pee on air.

Did Fox News Host Greg Gutfeld Sing ‘I Gotta Pee’ Live On Air? "The joys of live television," co-host Shannon Bream added.

True