Factcheck this

Birds aren’t real

1 like 4 dislike
in General Factchecking by
Birds aren’t real they’re drones.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_Aren%27t_Real#:~:text=Birds%20Aren't%20Real%20is,to%20spy%20on%20American%20citizens.
by Novice (800 points)
0 0
While I won't discredit or prove this claim false, the opening sentence in the article you linked states that it is a "satirical conspiracy theory."
by Newbie (370 points)
0 0
This claim seems to be satirical since the actual website you got your information from says that it is making a satirical claim. The author quoted in this article, "a spontaneous joke".
by Novice (750 points)
0 0
Everyone is right. It is clear this isn't real right when you go to the article.

10 Answers

1 like 0 dislike
by Apprentice (1.6k points)
selected by
 
Best answer

The claim, birds aren't real they're drones, is satire. The linked page is Wikipedia and the first sentence addresses this as a "satirical conspiracy theory." According to CBS News, the conspiracy theory was created by Peter McIndoe. It started off as a joke before evolving into a movement. Revealed in 60 Minutes, a video interview, one of the reasons McIndoe continued the bit was to push back against misinformation. "You've been lying to us, so we're gonna lie to you back and we're gonna do it in a way that really is funny," said McIndoe. 

Satire
by Novice (710 points)
0 0
I appreciate your answer to claim that is made as a pure joke. The claim that birds are not real is such blasphemy and I like how you brought evidence into it.
by Apprentice (1.5k points)
0 0
I'm glad you immediately proved that the site is in fact satirical  and how you even proved how the theory even came into light in the first place.
1 like 0 dislike
by Champion (14.6k points)

This claim is false. According to Wikipedia, "'Birds Aren't Real' is a satirical conspiracy theory which posits that birds are actually drones operated by the United States government to spy on American citizens." Peter McIndoe, the originator of this claim, created it "on a whim" after he wrote "Birds Aren't Real" on a poster and improvised a conspiracy theory amongst the counter-protestors as a "spontaneous joke". A video of McIndoe at the march went viral, which started the satirical movement." 

Birds are, in fact, real. 

False
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (460 points)

This claim is not real, instead a satirical joke created by Peter McIndoe. According to this wikipedia article, McIndoe wrote the claim on a sign seeing pro-Trump counter-protestors at the 2017 Women's March in Memphis, Tennessee as a spontaneous joke.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_Aren%27t_Real#:~:text=Birds%20Aren't%20Real%20is,to%20spy%20on%20American%20citizens.

Satire
by Innovator (51.5k points)
0 0
Going forward, try to locate sources that are stronger than Wikipedia. Wikipedia isn't usualy a reliable source. You can always check their citations and go directly to their sources too. Thanks!
1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (660 points)

According to the Wikipedia page linked in the original post, the "birds aren't real" conspiracy was a satirical conspiracy theory created by Peter McIndoe as a "spontaneous joke" at a Trump supporter counter protest. 

False
by Innovator (51.5k points)
0 0
Wikipedia is generally not a credible source for a fact-check. You can use it, but check their citations and go directly to where they found their information, in the future. Thanks!
1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (630 points)

This statement is a joke made by Peter McIndoe, as reported in a Wikipedia article. At the 2017 Women's March in Memphis, Tennessee, which Trump supporters found humorous.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_Aren%27t_Real#:~:text=Birds%20Aren't%20Real%20is,to%20spy%20on%20American%20citizens.

by Innovator (51.5k points)
0 0
Going forward, avoid using Wikipedia as a source. However, if you find something useful off of it, go directly to where the information was sourced (re: citations). Thanks!
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (200 points)
False
1 like 0 dislike
by (160 points)
This claim is false. In the wikipedia linked, the first sentence states this as a "satirical conspiracy theory".
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (200 points)

Just by looking at the Wikipedia page provided by this post, the reader can see that this page is saying that the claim that "birds aren't real" is actually a "conspiracy" created by Peter McIndoe. The page should be titled something like "Birds Aren't Real Conspiracy" to help readers understand that this isn't fake, it is just a conspiracy that people can believe if they want. 

1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (200 points)
This is clearly satirical. It is obvious right out of the gate that this Wikipedia article is sarcastic and is even supported in the first sentence as the article says it is a "satirical conspiracy theory". According to wordpress.com it is indeed true that Rachel Roberts described the Birds Aren't Real conspiracy as a "joke that thousands of people are in on"
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (240 points)
The linked wikipedia article begins by claiming this is a satirical conspiracy theory, therefore this is a false claim.
Satire

Categories

Community Rules

• Be respectful
• Always list your sources and include links so readers can check them for themselves.
• Use primary sources when you can, and only go to credible secondary sources if necessary.
• Try to rely on more than one source, especially for big claims.
• Point out if sources you quote have interests that could affect how accurate their evidence is.
• Watch for bias in sources and let readers know if you find anything that might influence their perspective.
• Show all the important evidence, whether it supports or goes against the claim.
Snow Theme by Q2A Market
Powered by Question2Answer
...