Category Faked news reports

News and other programs are broadcast live on Russian television, despite claims otherwise

An employee at state-owned Channel One in Russia recently interrupted a live news broadcast to protest the war in Ukraine.

Multiple experts say there are live news broadcasts and other live events on Russian TV.

A former employee of the station said that all Channel One news is live. An expert we spoke with said that's because of the country's many time zones.

Our ruling
A Facebook post said that a Russian journalist's protest during a state TV broadcast couldn't be real because "there are no live on air television broadcasts in Russia. None. Ever."

But experts we spoke with, including journalists who have worked in Russia, said that is not true. There are many live broadcasts, including the news show that was interrupted by an employee's protest. There has been no evidence presented that shows her actions were staged as part of a Russian propaganda effort.

We rate this claim False.

Read MoreNews and other programs are broadcast live on Russian television, despite claims otherwise

Doctored Italian TV screenshot shared to discredit Ukraine war coverage

An image comparing what appears to be an Italian television network's coverage of the war in Ukraine to a shot from a movie has spread online in posts claiming the media is lying about Russia's invasion. But the network's parent company rejected the claim, a word is missing from the TGCOM24 logo used in the posts, and AFP found no evidence of the footage being broadcast on the channel.

Read MoreDoctored Italian TV screenshot shared to discredit Ukraine war coverage

Fabricated news alert falsely claims Russian president told South Africa’s ANC to keep out of its affairs

A purported screengrab posted on Facebook in South Africa and shared hundreds of times purports to show a news item published by local media house News24 according to which Russian President Vladimir Putin told the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to stop meddling in its affairs. But this is false; News24 denied the report belonged to them while the Russian embassy in South Africa dismissed the claim of a warning from Putin.

Read MoreFabricated news alert falsely claims Russian president told South Africa’s ANC to keep out of its affairs

Artwork falsely shared as ‘genuine Time magazine cover’ likening Russia’s Putin to Hitler

Social media posts circulating globally following Russia's invasion of Ukraine have shared an image with the claim that it shows a genuine Time magazine cover that depicts Russian President Vladimir Putin with the nose and moustache of Adolf Hitler. However, the image shows an artwork that was created by a graphic designer, who said it was not intended as a Time cover. The magazine has also told AFP that the image "is not an authentic Time cover".

Read MoreArtwork falsely shared as ‘genuine Time magazine cover’ likening Russia’s Putin to Hitler

This is fictional footage from a 2016 drill, not a recent BBC report on the Ukraine-Russia crisis

Footage of what looks like a news report has been circulating on Facebook in Nigeria claiming to show a BBC reporter broadcasting on the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis and warning of an impending nuclear war. But this is false; the video has been online since at least 2016. Furthermore, the BBC confirmed the footage is fictional.

Read MoreThis is fictional footage from a 2016 drill, not a recent BBC report on the Ukraine-Russia crisis

Fake CNN screenshot misleads on war in Ukraine

Social media posts claim US broadcaster CNN misrepresented an image of a 2015 explosion as being from the 2022 war in Ukraine. But the image shows an explosion in Kyiv and was released by the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 24, 2022, and the channel said the alleged screenshot of a CNN report featured in the posts is fake.

Read MoreFake CNN screenshot misleads on war in Ukraine

Fake CNN tweet falsely reports first US casualty in Ukraine

Social media posts claim CNN lied to the public by tweeting that a man was the first US casualty in Ukraine after previously featuring the same photo in a post about his execution in Afghanistan. This is false; the network says the tweets are not from its official accounts, and the man pictured is a YouTube video game commentator who continues to livestream on the platform.

Read MoreFake CNN tweet falsely reports first US casualty in Ukraine

Posts falsely claim Steven Seagal with Russian forces in Ukraine

Social media posts feature an alleged CNN tweet that claims American actor Steven Seagal took up arms alongside Russian special forces in Ukraine. But CNN said the tweet -- which includes an image of Seagal in fatigues and carrying a weapon -- is fake, and his representatives also rejected the claim, saying the actor wants peace for both countries.

Read MorePosts falsely claim Steven Seagal with Russian forces in Ukraine