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).
A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
