Clickbait Network

Did Melania Trump "break up" with Donald Trump, or dump him, as announced in the title of a video? No, that clickbait headline is not supported by the news story it was based on. In the video the narrator, Christo Aivalis, discusses his take on a recently announced arrangement between Melania Trump and the social media platform Parler. He says…

Has the "Emergency Broadcast System" been activated? No, that's not true: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed to Lead Stories that the Emergency Alert System (EAS) has not been activated. If it had been, the protocol would be that the president of the United States would address the nation within 10 minutes of a national emergency. This has not…

Did President Joe Biden resign and was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi detained? No, that's not true: The claims in this video and headline are not based in reality. This content is a mashup of material from various sources with a shocking headline intended to trick people into viewing the video. Lead Stories has previously noted this pattern of production in…

Does the headline on this post correctly summarize the contents? No, that's not true: This video is another example of a clickbait tactic of a spam network that deceptively captures the attention of an American audience with hot-topic headlines that bear little relation to the content of the underlying video. The video is typically a well-produced package lifted from mainstream…

Did a funeral director from Milton Keynes, England, make a case that the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax, or that it is caused by the COVID-19 vaccine? No, that's not true: John O'Looney's conspiracy theories defy logic and are readily dismissed with publicly available information. His interview, dated September 16, 2021, has been mirrored on many video platforms. One example…

Were "senators" arrested at Arizona and does this mean that Trump is in trouble? No, that's not true: This nonsensical headline is clickbait intended to trick people into watching the video and joining the group promoted in the caption. One Arizona state senator, Tony Navarrete, was arrested on August 5, 2021, in connection with an investigation into suspected sexual conduct…

Did the head of Pfizer research say the COVID vaccine is female sterilization? No, that's not true: This clickbait headline doubles up on false claims. The person the claim refers to is Michael Yeadon, who nearly a decade ago held a high position in one of Pfizer's several research departments as vice president and chief scientist for Allergy & Respiratory.…

Did a mother publish photos of her baby along with a plea for the public to share the post and wish him a Happy Birthday? No, that's not true: These photos were taken from the mother's blog without permission and are being used as "engagement bait" by a shady network of websites. It is not the baby's third birthday. The…

Did a woman give birth to a premature baby and they both have coronavirus? No, that's not true: This photo predates the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. The photo shows a grieving mother holding the hand of one of her premature twin daughters who was stillborn on June 21, 2018. The story of what happened was told in several articles published in…

Did Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez say that both Jesus and President Trump were con artists? No, that's not true: This fictional story was designed to anger conservatives. The quote originated in an article (archived here) published by Bustatroll.org on April 4, 2020, under the title "AOC Laughs 'Jesus Was A Lot Like Trump, Both Con Artists'." It opened: We…