Maarten Schenk
@mschenk.bsky.social
Fact checker. Co-founder of leadstories.com.
Pinned
They've updated it...
December 21, 2025 at 9:03 AM
They've updated it...
Google? Well, Google just puts copies of the hoax in positions 1 through 4 and the fact check in position 5.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
December 21, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Google? Well, Google just puts copies of the hoax in positions 1 through 4 and the fact check in position 5.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
Reposted by Maarten Schenk
Yahoo!'s AI summary summarizes a hoax about Cher reading Karoline Leavitt's bio... right above the fact check explaining the story is a hoax.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
December 21, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Yahoo!'s AI summary summarizes a hoax about Cher reading Karoline Leavitt's bio... right above the fact check explaining the story is a hoax.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
Reposted by Maarten Schenk
Bing's AI summary summarizes a hoax about Cher reading Karoline Leavitt's bio...
The first search result is an AI driven site that summarizes the hoax too.
The third result is an actual fact check explaining the story is a hoax.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
The first search result is an AI driven site that summarizes the hoax too.
The third result is an actual fact check explaining the story is a hoax.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
December 21, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Bing's AI summary summarizes a hoax about Cher reading Karoline Leavitt's bio...
The first search result is an AI driven site that summarizes the hoax too.
The third result is an actual fact check explaining the story is a hoax.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
The first search result is an AI driven site that summarizes the hoax too.
The third result is an actual fact check explaining the story is a hoax.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
Reposted by Maarten Schenk
DuckDuckGo puts the fact check debunking the hoax bout Cher reading Karoline Leavitt's bio first... (well done!)
But puts an AI summary website that summarizes the hoax in position two...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
But puts an AI summary website that summarizes the hoax in position two...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
December 21, 2025 at 12:18 AM
DuckDuckGo puts the fact check debunking the hoax bout Cher reading Karoline Leavitt's bio first... (well done!)
But puts an AI summary website that summarizes the hoax in position two...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
But puts an AI summary website that summarizes the hoax in position two...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
Heh, my favorite fact checking slogan could have been in the Epstein Files :-)
December 20, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Heh, my favorite fact checking slogan could have been in the Epstein Files :-)
Bad Bing! Showing an AI summary of a hoax about a "giant eclipse octopus" while the link to the fact check debunking it sits right below it:
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
December 18, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Bad Bing! Showing an AI summary of a hoax about a "giant eclipse octopus" while the link to the fact check debunking it sits right below it:
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
I never realized they gave my young daughter a weapon of mass destruction when she was in hospital after a grave accident some years ago.
It seems she did recover quite nicely despite that.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
It seems she did recover quite nicely despite that.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
December 15, 2025 at 10:19 PM
I never realized they gave my young daughter a weapon of mass destruction when she was in hospital after a grave accident some years ago.
It seems she did recover quite nicely despite that.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
It seems she did recover quite nicely despite that.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Don't say
"fire the fact checkers"
but say
"Integrity Strategy pivot"
--> a new term I learned from this Reuters story:
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
"fire the fact checkers"
but say
"Integrity Strategy pivot"
--> a new term I learned from this Reuters story:
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Meta tolerates rampant ad fraud from China to safeguard billions in revenue
A Reuters investigation reveals the owner of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp decided to accept high levels of fraudulent advertisements from China. Internal company documents show Meta wanted to mini...
www.reuters.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Don't say
"fire the fact checkers"
but say
"Integrity Strategy pivot"
--> a new term I learned from this Reuters story:
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
"fire the fact checkers"
but say
"Integrity Strategy pivot"
--> a new term I learned from this Reuters story:
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Reposted by Maarten Schenk
Fact Check: FAKE Site Said IT Professional 'Edward Crabtree' Disarmed Bondi Beach Shooter -- NOT Actual News Site
Fact Check: FAKE Site Said IT Professional 'Edward Crabtree' Disarmed Bondi Beach Shooter -- NOT Actual News Site
Did an actual news site report an 43-year-old IT professional named "Edward Crabtree" disarm a terrorist during a terrorist attack on Bondi beach in Australia on December 14, 2025? No, that's not true: That name and description came from on...
leadstories.com
December 14, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Fact Check: FAKE Site Said IT Professional 'Edward Crabtree' Disarmed Bondi Beach Shooter -- NOT Actual News Site
Reposted by Maarten Schenk
'Seven German journalism students tracked Russian-crewed freighters lurking off the Dutch and German coast—and connected them to drone swarms over military bases.' www.digitaldigging.org/p/they-drone...
They Droned Back
Young journalists expose Russian-linked vessels circling off the Dutch and German coast
www.digitaldigging.org
December 11, 2025 at 9:22 PM
'Seven German journalism students tracked Russian-crewed freighters lurking off the Dutch and German coast—and connected them to drone swarms over military bases.' www.digitaldigging.org/p/they-drone...
Ik wacht wel op de screenshot op Bluesky van de tweet over de making-of van het interview over de documentaire over de backlash op de documentaire over de comeback van Bart De Pauw...
De making-of van het interview over de documentaire over de backlash op de documentaire over de comeback van Bart De Pauw is nu te zien op VTM GO+.
December 11, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Ik wacht wel op de screenshot op Bluesky van de tweet over de making-of van het interview over de documentaire over de backlash op de documentaire over de comeback van Bart De Pauw...
Our robot fact-checking show hosts Artie Ficial and Botty McBotface have new voices!
Sound up!
Sound up!
The Daily NOT - A show about what didn't happen today. Episode 602. #TheDailyNOT
"A fake Fox News screenshot and a bogus Trump quote: don't be taken in by viral internet posts!"
"A fake Fox News screenshot and a bogus Trump quote: don't be taken in by viral internet posts!"
December 11, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Our robot fact-checking show hosts Artie Ficial and Botty McBotface have new voices!
Sound up!
Sound up!
Reposted by Maarten Schenk
The Daily NOT - A show about what didn't happen today. Episode 602. #TheDailyNOT
"A fake Fox News screenshot and a bogus Trump quote: don't be taken in by viral internet posts!"
"A fake Fox News screenshot and a bogus Trump quote: don't be taken in by viral internet posts!"
December 11, 2025 at 10:14 AM
The Daily NOT - A show about what didn't happen today. Episode 602. #TheDailyNOT
"A fake Fox News screenshot and a bogus Trump quote: don't be taken in by viral internet posts!"
"A fake Fox News screenshot and a bogus Trump quote: don't be taken in by viral internet posts!"
Reposted by Maarten Schenk
IFCN statement on U.S. visa restrictions targeting fact-checkers:
"New visa directives wrongly conflate journalism with censorship"
www.poynter.org/news-release...
"New visa directives wrongly conflate journalism with censorship"
www.poynter.org/news-release...
IFCN statement on U.S. visa restrictions targeting fact-checkers - Poynter
New visa directives wrongly conflate journalism with censorship.
www.poynter.org
December 9, 2025 at 6:58 PM
IFCN statement on U.S. visa restrictions targeting fact-checkers:
"New visa directives wrongly conflate journalism with censorship"
www.poynter.org/news-release...
"New visa directives wrongly conflate journalism with censorship"
www.poynter.org/news-release...
Incredible. A satirical *Facebook post* about a mountain collapse in Casper, Wyoming (that didn't actually happen) was the top search result in *Google News* yesterday. Today it is two versions of a follow-up spoof post...
The fact check? Nowhere to be seen.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
The fact check? Nowhere to be seen.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
December 8, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Incredible. A satirical *Facebook post* about a mountain collapse in Casper, Wyoming (that didn't actually happen) was the top search result in *Google News* yesterday. Today it is two versions of a follow-up spoof post...
The fact check? Nowhere to be seen.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
The fact check? Nowhere to be seen.
leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...
The irony of believing moderation is censorship and then "censoring" the people fining you for not being transparent enough...
December 7, 2025 at 10:51 AM
The irony of believing moderation is censorship and then "censoring" the people fining you for not being transparent enough...
Elon Musk Fined €120 Million By EU For Censoring Information About Ads, Blue Checks & Research Data
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Commission fines X €120 million under the Digital Services Act
Today, the Commission has issued a fine of €120 million to X for breaching its transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
ec.europa.eu
December 6, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Elon Musk Fined €120 Million By EU For Censoring Information About Ads, Blue Checks & Research Data
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
I visited Veles and Kumanovo, two Macedonian towns famous for their "fake news factories" back in the day...
leadstories.com/analysis/202...
leadstories.com/analysis/202...
From Macedonia With Facts: A Fact Checker Goes To Skopje -- The Kumanovo Connection Revisited | Lead Stories
When I received an invitation last month to come to Macedonia to talk with the fact checkers and journalists at...
leadstories.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I visited Veles and Kumanovo, two Macedonian towns famous for their "fake news factories" back in the day...
leadstories.com/analysis/202...
leadstories.com/analysis/202...
Neat! A Bluesky feed you can pin to your homepage that shows you the other posts liked by the people who liked the posts that you liked...
The difference is, on Bluesky this is just one of the possible timelines you can use...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
The difference is, on Bluesky this is just one of the possible timelines you can use...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
December 5, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Neat! A Bluesky feed you can pin to your homepage that shows you the other posts liked by the people who liked the posts that you liked...
The difference is, on Bluesky this is just one of the possible timelines you can use...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
The difference is, on Bluesky this is just one of the possible timelines you can use...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
On the plus side, Belgium's chances to win Eurovision 2026 just went up a bit! 🇧🇪 🎤 🇪🇺 🎵
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Four countries to boycott Eurovision 2026 as Israel cleared to compete
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands pull out after decision not to hold vote on Israel’s participation
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:04 PM
On the plus side, Belgium's chances to win Eurovision 2026 just went up a bit! 🇧🇪 🎤 🇪🇺 🎵
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Hoe kan dat?
@mschenk.bsky.social has swears! They've used 12 profanities in their last 545 posts.
🥇 "hoe" (6 times)
🥈 "shit" (1 times)
🥉 "crap" (1 times)
🥇 "hoe" (6 times)
🥈 "shit" (1 times)
🥉 "crap" (1 times)
November 29, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Hoe kan dat?
@profanity.accountant can you audit me?
November 29, 2025 at 4:16 PM
@profanity.accountant can you audit me?
Cain Ransbottyn is terug?
Wie weet meer?
Wie weet meer?
November 27, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Cain Ransbottyn is terug?
Wie weet meer?
Wie weet meer?