2551: Debunking

2021-12-07T08:03:29Z

Itokro: /* Table */

{{comic
| number = 2551
| date = December 6, 2021
| title = Debunking
| image = debunking.png
| titletext = Mark Zuckerberg has only neutral feelings toward Peppa Pig, who he understands is a fictional character, and he blames the coronavirus pandemic on other factors.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a WEIGHTLESS CHIP DUST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

When writing a news article that "debunks" a claim (shows why it is false), writing its headline in the form "X is false" is [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/words-matter/201807/when-correcting-lie-dont-repeat-it-do-instead-2 discouraged]. The reason is that just repeatedly seeing "X", even if negated or followed by "is false", can make readers subconciously believe it.

To avoid this, Journalist Randall has worded his debunking articles in a positive sense. This makes for a confusing read if the reader has not heard of the original claim. The "original claims" allegedly being debunked here don't actually appear to have been made anywhere, and can only be inferred from the debunking.

Much of the debunking relies on setting simple facts straight, making for bizarrely banal headlines.

===Table===
{| class="wikitable"
!Article Headline
!Possible claim being debunked
|-
| AP Photos show that Dr. Fauci's office contains a normal amount of microwaves
| That Dr. Fauci's office contains an unusual number of microwaves. Whether this refers to microwave ovens or microwave radiation, most offices don't have any of either, so "a normal amount" is an odd thing to say.
|-
| Singer Billie Eilish was born years after the TWA Flight 800 Explosion.
| A conspiracy theory linking Billie Eilish (born December 2001) with the TWA flight 800 crash in July 1996.
|-
| Vaccinated people can remove their hats without trouble by tugging upward, say doctors.
| That vaccination causes one's head to swell, making hats become tight.
|-
| Physicists say Dorito powder is affected by gravity.
| A claim that Dorito powder is not affected by gravity.
|-
| Steering wheels will work normally on Dec 12th
| Faults (perhaps due to failures in the power steering system, triggered for example by solar storms) will cause cars to steer erratically on that date
|-
| Santa's skin is dry and healthy this year, with the same amount of oil as before.
| Santa is suffering from oily skin, that can cause acne.
|-
| ''(Title Text)'' Mark Zuckerberg has only neutral feelings toward Peppa Pig...
| That the founder of Facebook has paranoia concerning the character Peppa Pig, believing her to be a real talking pig and the cause of the covid19 pandemic. May be a reference to a [https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-briefly-lost-words-speech-business-2021-11-22 recent speech] by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in which he expressed admiration for Peppa, much to the bewilderment of journalists
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Several news headlines shown in boxes]

[Box 1] AP Photos show Dr. Fauci's office contains a normal number of microwaves.

[Box 2] Fact Check: Singer Billie Eilish was born years after the TWA Flight 800 Explosion.

[Box 3] Vaccinated people can remove their hats without trouble by tugging upward, say doctors.

[Box 4] Physicists say Dorito powder is affected by gravity.

[Box 5] Steering wheels will work normally on Dec 12th; Make left and right turns as usual.

[Box 6] CNN Investigation; Santa's skin is dry and healthy this year, with the same amount of oil as before.

[Comment below the headline boxes reads:]

I don't know whether the "Don't repeat the claim in the headline debunking it" thing works or not, but it definitely makes reading the news weird.

{{comic discussion}}

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2551: Debunking