Is it authentic?

Is the context accurate?

Is there evidence that proves the claim?

Is it based on solid reasoning?

Has it been posted or confirmed by a credible source?

This video clip was taken out of its original context and shared with an inaccurate caption in order reframe it in a new, false context.

The original footage shows Gaetz did not call Cheney a traitor during this speech and no credible news organizations reported that he did. 

“Fact check: False claim video shows Matt Gaetz calling Liz Cheney a ‘traitor’” 

Video doesn’t show Gaetz calling Cheney a traitor

 during a speech at the CPAC in February 2022.

genuine video of Gaetz giving a speech at CPAC

 in which he criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, and praised former President Donald Trump.

 from 2021, Gaetz said Cheney would get booed if she were on stage. Cheney is a vocal critic of Trump.

This video is being used to support the claim that Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida called Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney a “traitor” during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), but the full video reveals no such comment. Let’s look at the facts. 

This claim was shared by partisans on social media. It went viral nearly eight months after Gaetz delivered this speech. 

 are all effective tools in the fight against misinformation, but sometimes all it takes is watching the full video and not just reading the attention-getting caption. The rumor that Gaetz called Cheney a “traitor” went viral in October 2022 when it was misleadingly attached to a video of Gaetz speaking at CPAC months earlier. While the video’s caption informed viewers that Gaetz had insulted Cheney, viewing the full video shows he never even mentioned her name.

 that this tactic (attaching a false claim to a genuine video) has been used to create 

 in recent weeks. This sort of misinformation relies on complacency, as purveyors of these false rumors know many people will accept their claims without watching the footage for themselves.

Orange

There is no evidence to support this claim. This claim was manufactured to take advantage of a viral moment to spread anti-vaccine misinformation and other conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories appeal to our psychological need for a simple explanation and someone to blame. You can stumble across them online even when searching for reliable information. These compelling narratives, and the false evidence they include, can draw you in, manipulating your emotions and using your cognitive biases against you to trick you into believing them. This quiz is designed to help you learn to recognize conspiratorial thinking and understand its consequences.

News Lit Quiz: Avoid the trap of conspiratorial thinking

“No evidence COVID-19 vaccine behind Katy Perry’s eye closing in concert”

Claim falsely attributes Katy Perry’s odd eye movement to COVID-19 vaccine

The movement of Katy Perry’s eye in this video of her performing at a Las Vegas concert is not related to a COVID-19 vaccine side effect.

 about robotic clones and even connections to antisemitic conspiracy theories.

 and explained that it was a “party trick” for her act.

Adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are rare and “eye glitches” are not a known side effect. 

Learn how to recognize science-based claims and evaluate their credibility using the FLOATER method. Consider why people deny science and explore science journalism.

Evaluating Science-Based Claims

A viral video of singer Katy Perry’s eye “glitching” was quickly attached to evidence-free claims that the singer was experiencing a side effect from a COVID-19 vaccine. This is not true. Let’s look at the facts. 

This claim was not made by an expert or scientific body nor anyone with firsthand knowledge of the situation. Perry herself disavowed any conspiratorial explanations. This claim was spread on social media by people with an anti-vaccination agenda. 

This tutorial video teaches you the basics of “lateral reading” (doing effective internet searches to evaluate a source or piece of information).

Lateral Reading

Tutorial: Lateral reading

Test opengraph title

Eight Tips to Google Like a Pro

Anti-vaccination trolls often try to find ways to attribute strange viral moments to the COVID-19 vaccines, but such claims lack evidence and have the potential to spread harm. This video of Perry’s eye “glitching” during an October 2022 concert was no exception. As the video racked up millions of views, many people dismissed the most likely explanations (Perry had something in her eye, experienced a muscle spasm or used strong eyelash glue) in favor of their preferred conspiratorial ideas. While wide-ranging, these conspiratorial claims all had one critical characteristic in common: a complete lack of evidence.

Conspiracy theories thrive on the absence of information. People want to know the truth and when a clear answer is not immediately available, they may opt to invent one themselves. While this results in some nonsensical ideas that are easily dismissed (rest assured, Perry is not a robot), others may contribute — even subconsciously — to claims that many people take seriously, such as anti-vaccination claims. Perry has been an advocate for vaccinations.

Blue

It is a piece of impostor content not produced by the GOP, and it misrepresents the Republican agenda. 

Various fact-checkers looked into the authenticity of this image and found that it was fabricated. Several spokespeople for the GOP have also dismissed it as fake. 

“Fabricated ‘Commitment to America’ graphic circulates inaccurate Republican agenda ahead of Midterms” 

“Graphic misrepresents House GOP agenda” 

“Cuts to Social Security and Medicare detailed in viral image aren’t part of House GOP plan” 

Fabricated “Commitment to America” graphic misrepresents GOP plan

This is not an official graphic produced by the Republican Party.

 intentionally designed to look like an official GOP statement.

The graphic uses the name of a plan that U.S. House Republicans 

 called the “Commitment to America” agenda.

The image includes false information not included in the actual GOP plan, such as the inaccurate statement that Republicans intend to raise the age of Medicare eligibility to 75 and end it entirely for those 90 and above.

An image graphic supposedly showing the Republican Party’s agenda to demonstrate its “Commitment to America” is spreading online, but it didn’t originate with the GOP. Let’s look at the facts. 

The image was widely spread by political partisans, who also added critical comments about the GOP’s supposed positions.

One popular trick to make fabricated content appear genuine is to include an official logo from a recognized group. While this deceptive design may fool some viewers, there are a few quick checks internet users can perform to verify its authenticity. First, look for a URL. Second, check the website and social media platforms where the content allegedly originated.

This “Commitment to America” graphic that began circulating in October uses the same logo and title of an actual plan that was released by Republicans in late September. But it was not posted or shared by official GOP accounts and a spokesperson for House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy 

: “Those are fabricated images with false information.”