The Latest Fact Checks curated by Media Bias Fact Check 05/28/2022

Each day Media Bias Fact Check selects and publishes fact checks from around the world. We only utilize fact-checkers that are either a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) or have been verified as credible by MBFC. Further, we review each fact check for accuracy before publishing. We fact-check the fact-checkers and let you know their bias. When appropriate, we explain the rating and/or offer our own rating if we disagree with the fact-checker. (D. Van Zandt)

Claim Codes: Red = Fact Check on a Right Claim, Blue = Fact Check on a Left Claim, Black = Not Political/Conspiracy/Pseudoscience/Other

Fact Checker bias rating Codes: Red = Right-Leaning, Green = Least Biased, Blue = Left-Leaning, Black = Unrated by MBFC

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BLATANT
LIE
Claim by Jimmy Dore Show: “Another Conspiracy Proven True!” referring to 2018 remarks by Pfizer CEO and claims about microchips in COVID-19 vaccines.

FactCheck.org rating: False (The clip is actually from the World Economic Forum held in January 2018, before the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccines existed, and refers to a drug that was not developed by Pfizer and is meant for a specific set of patients, those with certain mental health conditions.)

FDA-Approved ‘Electronic Pill’ Isn’t Evidence That COVID-19 Vaccine ‘Microchip’ Conspiracy Is ‘Proven’

BLATANT
LIE
Claim via Social Media: Monkeypox is linked to COVID-19 vaccines; a 2021 tabletop exercise portraying a monkeypox pandemic is evidence that global leaders planned the outbreak; the monkeypox vaccine was “ready” before the outbreak

Health Feedback rating: Incorrect (crackpot conspiracy as COVID-19 vaccines can’t cause monkeypox because none of them contain the monkeypox virus. Furthermore, adenoviruses and pox viruses are different families of viruses and cause different diseases. The adenoviral vectors used in some vaccines are unable to cause an infection in humans.

Monkeypox outbreak triggers conspiracy theories on social media claiming that it was planned or incorrectly linking it with COVID-19 vaccines

MOSTLY
TRUE
Claim by Steve Kerr: “90% of Americans, regardless of political party, want universal background checks.”

PolitiFact rating: Mostly True (For years, polls have shown a majority of Americans support gun background checks for all buyers. Some polls show overall support in the ballpark of 90%. Support is lower among Republicans, but polls still indicate majority backing.)

Polls consistently show high support for gun background checks

MOSTLY
TRUE
Claim by Social media: The US has had 288 school shootings while other countries had 2 or less.

USA Today rating: Mostly True (The data is correct from 2009 to 2018, but it doesn’t include a vast number of shootings before and after that timeframe. One database shows that pushes the tally past 2,000 school shootings in the U.S. In other words, it underestimates the amount of school shooting in the USA vs. other countries. )

Fact check: Comparison of school shootings in the US, other countries uses old data

FALSE Claim by Ted Cruz (R): “We know from past experiences that the most effective tool for keeping kids safe is armed law enforcement on the campus.”

PolitiFact rating: False (There are no studies that show that the presence of armed officers keeps people from targeting schools. In May 2018, a shooter killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School in Texas despite the presence of two police officers. Cruz was a senator at the time and visited the school in the aftermath. Please note Cruz receives the most money from the Gun lobby.)

Research: Armed campus police do not prevent school shootings

BLATANT
LIE
(International: Australia): The vast majority of deaths during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-19 were due to bacterial infections caused by people wearing masks.

Australian Associated Press rating: False (Many people succumbed to bacterial pneumonia due to lung and immune system damage following influenza virus infection. There is no evidence mask use was the cause.)

Spanish flu pandemic claim masks the truth about deaths

Disclaimer: We are providing links to fact checks by third-party fact-checkers. If you do not agree with a fact check, please directly contact the source of that fact check.

Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources

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