When it comes to fact-checking and claim debunking, Snopes and PolitiFact are pretty much neck-and-neck. They’re the household names. But that doesn’t mean they have a monopoly on making sure that we don’t fall victim to dangerous misinformation.
USA Today is pretty committed to keeping the public discourse honest, too. That’s why when the Babylon Bee put out this story about Joe Biden selling Alaska to Russia:
Biden Sells Alaska Back To Russia So We Can Start Drilling For Oil There Again https://t.co/W99eOvtrvu
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) March 7, 2022
USA Today got to work combing through it, looking for the truth and leaving no stone unturned:
Fact check: Satirical claim that Biden is selling Alaska to Russia https://t.co/7UjFcl7z27 via @usatoday
— Harlan (@harlan_county) March 10, 2022
“Biden Sells Alaska Back To Russia So We Can Start Drilling For Oil There Again,” reads a headline shared in a March 7 Facebook post.
The post, which was published by the page Being Libertarian, racked up more than 2,000 shares within two days. But its claim is not based in fact – it’s satire.
USA TODAY reached out to Being Libertarian for comment.
The headline pictured in the Facebook post was published by The Babylon Bee, a satire website. Being Libertarian linked to the article in the post’s comments.
Someone got paid to do that.
— BigB_EOD (@bigB_EOD) March 10, 2022
Great work, Ana and USA Today! America can’t afford to be lied to. Not by well known satirical sites, anyway. Only the Biden administration gets to BS us. It’s in the Constitution somewhere, we’re sure.
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Thanks to the fact-checkers at @USATODAY who have pointed out that this story is satire. We would like to retract it, as we now realize it is false and was entirely made up. pic.twitter.com/8sNv3aocqe
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) March 10, 2022
Good on ya, Babylon Bee. It takes real humility to admit when you were wrong.
And clearly you were wrong to believe that people out there would associate a satirical site with satirical material. USA Today has demonstrated that you can’t count on everyone to possess basic reading comprehension skills.
And now, all the Babylon Bee can do is to try to do better going forward.
We do our best to only share 100% true headlines, but sometimes we get one wrong. We will do better.
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) March 10, 2022
We know you will, Babylon Bee. We know you will.
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