An image of Parkland, Fla., survivor Emma Gonzalez ripping up the Constitution is lighting up parts of the Internet.
But that image is a grossly manipulated version of the original, which actually shows Gonzalez tearing a poster of a shooting target for a Teen Vogue article.
Storyful research director Ben Decker explained how the altered image came to be.
“You had a number of people on 4Chan -- obviously, one of the vanguards and origins of a lot of disinformation stories -- essentially asking people if they could take it apart and recreate the...meme,” he said.
Sites like 4Chan and Gab have grown in popularity as traditional social media sites have tried to crack down on the spread of disinformation.
“Gab, for instance, which claims to have almost a million users, essentially started with a large number of people who were kicked off of Twitter and...Facebook,” Decker said.
Another option called “Gunbook” emerged soon after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
“A Scottish man realized that he couldn’t advertise most of his gun ownership...on Facebook. So now all of a sudden you have a completely new space where people are...continuing this conversation about having to defend the Second Amendment.”
The image of Gonzalez is just one example of how the stringent supporters of gun rights have been vilifying the survivors of the Parkland, Fla., shooting.
In the immediate aftermath, conspiracy theorists perpetuated the idea that David Hogg, another student survivor, was a crisis actor.
According to Decker, the easiest way to spot fake images online is to use Google’s reverse image search feature, which will bring up the starting points for much of the viral content.
“But ultimately, I think there needs to be a real understanding of...how would this play into a narrative either on the left or the right. We have to consume news in a much more objective mindset.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-real-dangers-of-fake-news).
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
