Test Your Bullshit Detector With This Week’s Fake News Quiz
Some are crazy-but-true. Some are hoaxes.
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This man fought off a black bear attack by punching it in the face.
Rick Nelson
TrueFalseIt's true.
Rick Nelson, 61, was walking his dog in Sudbury, Ontario when he came upon a bear cub. Then he came face to face with its mother, who took a swipe at him. Nelson then threw a counter-punch. "I had the perfect shot to take. I did an underhand and hit it right in the snout." He told CBC News that the bear cub then began to run away and the mama bear followed, leaving him alone.
Via Rick Nelson
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Omar Mateen texted his wife to tell her he was gay before he did the Orlando shootings.
ABCNews.com.co
TrueFalseIt's false.
The story originated on ABCNews.com.co, which is a fake news website designed to fool people into thinking it is the real ABC News. The site faked the image showing a supposed text message exchange. Strangely, the hoax was picked up by many Spanish-language media outlets.
Via El Comercio
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A 9-year-old killed both of his parents after they punished him by taking away his internet access.
TrueFalseIt's false.
This is a hoax from fake news website News4KTLA. It publishes a constant stream of fake articles about crime and other topics.
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This photo shows the chaotic scene inside Ataturk Airport after the recent attacks in Istanbul.
Twitter: @AmichaiStein1
TrueFalseIt's false.
The photo was actually taken at the Brussels Airport in Zaventem after a terrorist attack killed 32 people. It recirculated on Twitter after the Istanbul airport bombings and was picked up by many media outlets.
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A teenager playing Pokémon Go stumbled upon a dead body.
TrueFalseIt's true.
“As I looked one way, I noticed that there was something in the water in front of me,” Shayla Wiggins, 19, told BuzzFeed News. “And so I took a closer look and saw it was a body.” She had been out for an early morning walk in Riverton, Wyoming when it happened.
Via BuzzFeed
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TrueFalse
It's false.
This is a hoax from yet another fake news website. The site, Associated Media Content, also previously published a hoax article claiming that the Westboro Baptist Church was planning to protest motorcycle rallies.
Via Associated Media Content
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A couple was charged with assault after they started chucking pizza rolls at each other during an argument.
youtube.com
TrueFalseIt's true.
Brad Beard, 24, and Samantha Canipe, 21, of North Carolina were charged with simple assault after police arrived and found them throwing pizza rolls at each other.
Via Gaston County Sheriff's Office
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A teenager was mugged and stabbed when he wandered into a bad neighborhood while playing Pokémon Go.
TrueFalse
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Craig Silverman is a media editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in Toronto.
Contact Craig Silverman at craig.silverman@buzzfeed.com.
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