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 features a clip of a European Parliament committee meeting taken out of context and was misleadingly presented as “breaking” news in which a Pfizer employee unveiled bombshell information.

The evidence shows that Pfizer’s initial tests on its COVID-19 vaccine focused on safety and efficacy, and Pfizer never claimed that it tested for impact on transmission. 

“Fact Check: Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Trial NOT Intended To Test Transmission Prevention – That’s Not How Clinical Trials Work”

“Alleged revelation about Pfizer vaccine trial is nothing new” 

No ‘bombshell’ in Pfizer saying clinical trials didn’t test transmission

Janine Small, president of International Developed Markets at Pfizer, told the European Parliament committee that the company’s clinical trials weren’t designed to study transmission.

The information is not new. Pfizer and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration both said before the vaccine was approved that there was no data about whether it prevented transmission to others, according to 

Pfizer’s clinical trials were intended to check the safety and efficiency of vaccines and the results have been 

The video uses a straw man argument to make it seem as if a Pfizer executive revealed previously unknown information. It also falsely implies that the executive’s statement on “testing” is evidence that the vaccine is ineffective, but scientific papers have shown that vaccinated people are less likely to transmit COVID-19.

An out-of-context video clip taken from the European Parliament’s special committee on the COVID-19 pandemic hearing on Oct. 10 has been viewed millions of times on social media. But the clip is highly misleading. Let’s take a look at the facts.  

This video was published by a conservative politician and uses an out-of-context clip. Political figures often engage in spin and misleading statements to advance their agendas.

 in which someone exaggerates (or fabricates) the opposing party’s position and then argues against that fabrication. This can be a particularly effective strategy on social media, where users can take videos out of context and engage in one-sided conversations.

The Pfizer video that went viral on Oct. 11 is a good example of a straw man argument. The statement from Pfizer is framed as an admission, implying wrongdoing or a contradiction with previous statements, but the company never claimed its clinical trials focused on transmission. The 

FDA’s press release marking the first vaccine

 rollout in December 2020 made it clear that there wasn’t enough data “to make a determination about how long the vaccine will provide protection, nor is there evidence that the vaccine prevents transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from person to person.”

Blue

This is not an official set of rules from FIFA or Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

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

This set of rules was widely spread on social media as if it were an official list from FIFA or a governing body of Qatar. But that’s not the case. In its original context, this list shows a set of unofficial rules that a Qatari citizen group would like to implement

Check out the seven primary standards of quality journalism.

The standards of quality journalism

Develop a nuanced understanding of news media bias by learning about five types of bias and five ways it can manifest itself, as well as methods for minimizing it.

Understanding Bias

While we did not find evidence this list was real, we found statements from Qatar and FIFA confirming that it was not. 

Test opengraph title

Eight Tips to Google Like a Pro

“Fact Check-Poster listing behaviours to avoid at the 2022 FIFA World Cup is not an official release” 

“World Cup ‘rules’ graphic created by citizens group, not Qatari officials”

World Cup rules graphic not from Qatari government

Both FIFA, the international soccer governing body, and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Qatar’s World Cup organizers, released 

This poster was spread by a Qatari citizen group that encourages tourists to abide by the country’s conservative customs.

This group is not in charge of making rules at the World Cup.

A supposed list of rules for attendees to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar next month racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok. But the list is fake and didn’t come from event organizers or the Qatar government. Let’s look at the facts. 

The organizations responsible for organizing the World Cup have both issued statements labeling this set of rules as fictitious. 

This infographic provides five steps for vetting news sources and includes a list of “trust busters” to watch out for in your information diet.


 Is it legit? Five steps for vetting a news source

We can all make better choices about the information we consume, share and act on. But can you tell the difference between social media posts that are false or misleading and those that are credible?

Test your news literacy skills with this quiz and help stop the flood of misinformation.

News Lit Quiz: Should you share it?

Videos claiming that these were official rules set to be implemented at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar received hundreds of thousands of views in October 2022, but these videos weren’t produced by FIFA or hosted on its website. They also weren’t shared or verified by any governing bodies in Qatar or by credible news organizations. 

 confirmed this list of rules was posted by the Qatari citizen group, which has no ties to FIFA. In fact, the graphic includes the group’s logo in the upper left corner.

The fake rules likely went viral because they “felt” true to those who think Qatar is a poor choice to host this global event due to the Muslim-majority country’s conservative positions on homosexuality, alcohol and other items listed in this meme. Since the rules appeared to confirm those beliefs, many people shared the post. This is an example of 

Editor's note, Nov. 18, 2022: The original headline of this entry 

 "Rules don't prohibit dating, alcohol at World Cup" 

 was updated after the Qatari government 

 the sale of alcohol at the FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium.

Orange

This is not a genuine video of a giant tree frog. Digital editing was used to make this frog appear unusually large. The person behind this video noted that it was created for “fun and comedy” and that the frog was “enlarged with VFX perspective tricks.” 

This species of frog exists, but it isn’t nearly as big as it appears in this video. It only grows to about 4.5 inches in length. 

“No, the banana-eating tree frog in the viral video is not enormous; the video was edited” 

“Dumpy, the giant frog that went viral on TikTok, is actually fake – well, kinda”

Banana-eating giant frog isn’t so giant, or a banana eater

 by a videographer who used digital editing to enlarge the appearance of the frog.

The frog in the video, the Australian White’s tree frog, only grows to 3 to 4.5 inches in length.

If this video actually showed a White’s tree frog that grew much larger than expected, it would warrant news articles or scientific studies noting this and investigating the cause. But those don’t exist.

A viral video posted to TikTok on Oct. 6 supposedly shows a man feeding a banana to an enormous frog. But that isn’t what happened. Let’s look at the facts. 

When you see something on the internet that seems unbelievable, check first to see if it’s real before you share it.

This video, for example, purports to show an amazingly large tree frog. But even a quick search for other stories about the frog turns up facts that contradict the video. The White’s tree frog doesn’t grow to the size depicted in the video, according to the 

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

, and it lives on a diet of insects, not bananas. Also, zooming in on the frog as it eats the banana reveals some editing glitches.