An array of misinformation about earthquakes in Turkey
Annie Lab examined some popular social media content posted after the devastating quakes in Turkey and Syria.
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annie lab
@HKU School of Future Media
Misleading
The claim is accompanied by non-altered evidence but it is used out of context or in a demonstrably misleading way. The key evidence may be fact-based, but the claim and information associated with the evidence are not true.
Misleading: Photo does not show unidentified flying object reportedly spotted in China
The picture was taken in the U.K. in 2008. It has nothing to do with the news report on the UFO spotted in Shandong in February.
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Misleading: South Korean rocket mistaken for UFO in Poland
Misleading social media posts claiming a UFO was spotted and shot down by Polish Air Force came with a video that showed a South Korean rocket test in December 2022.
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Misleading: Fireworks spectators’ video falsely linked to Wuhan protest and Turkey earthquake
Annie Lab sourced the original video to a WeChat user and geolocated it at Yanshi district, of Henan province’s Luoyang city. The crowds that spilled into traffic were actually gathering for a Lantern Festival public fireworks show, according to the WeChat user.
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Misleading: Japanese study on mask hygiene does not support dropping mask mandate
The 2022 study by researchers at an Osaka-based university actually recommends the hygienic use of masks and cautions people, especially those with immune issues, against repeated use of the same masks to avoid potentially pathogenic microbes that can grow on the surface.
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Misleading: These images of street sign and police are not related to China’s COVID-19 protests
Wulumuqi Zhong Road (乌鲁木齐中路) in Shanghai was not renamed to Wu Zhong Road (乌中路). The image of a police officer holding a “white paper” comes from a two-year-old public services announcement video.
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Misleading: Group singing of ‘The Internationale’ was performed in 2021 as celebration, not protest
The video was produced last July to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. It has nothing to do with recent COVID-19 protests in the country.
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Misleading: Liaison Office photo was taken months before Jiang Zemin’s death
The viral photo is a screen capture of a TV news report in April. Many people in Hong Kong also lined up and offered flowers to the deceased former Chinese president outside the Liaison Office on Dec. 1.
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Misleading: Video shows Chengdu Marathon, not people taking PCR tests in China
The video actually shows marathon participants waiting for the start on Nov. 20, 2022.
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Misleading: Video shows Yiwu market in Shenzhen, not Zhejiang’s world’s largest wholesale market
The video has nothing to do with the famous Yiwu International Trade City in Zhejiang, also known as the Yiwu market, which was locked down only for 10 days in mid-August.
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