After Correspondents Dinner Shooting, Rumors and Conspiracy Theories Swirl Online

Influencers jumped to fill the information void with conspiracy theories about the attack at the White House Correspondents’ dinner Saturday. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

1/ "In a now-common phenomenon after such incidents, prominent influencers fill the information vacuum with speculation in a bid for attention & followers. "The result is an almost-instant online free-for-all over the truth..." #ConspiratorialThinking #MediaLiteracy

"Influencers have motivation to post speculation and rumor, even if they do not believe it: The attention it brings can be vital in gaining followers and, on revenue-sharing platforms like X, can mean larger payouts." www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

2/ “People are reshaping reality based on what they want to be true or not. They’re not looking for good information, they’re looking for confirmatory information, & will often go very deep down a rabbit hole of side-by-side pictures, microshots of the president’s face, et cetera.” #NewsLiteracy

“People are reshaping reality based on what they want to be true or not. They’re not looking for good information, they’re looking for confirmatory information, and will often go very deep down a rabbit hole of side-by-side pictures, microshots of the president’s face, et cetera.”

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t... Yes. So many people who know what "really" happened only know this because they have a computer. Never mind that the gunman confessed to his family before he took action.They must be in on it too.

Article about the ranging conspiracy theories -- www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Hank begins this morning talking about the pervasiveness of conspiracy theories, "it's like it has become mainstream" What do you think? Call or text us @ 774-364-8255 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

#r4today The President said the event would be "restaged." 😂 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Gift article www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner (New York Times) Main Link | memeorandum Permalink

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t... The term staged appeared on 300,000 posts on X by Sunday afternoon.

“People are reshaping reality based on what they want to be true or not,” said Cliff Lampe, a professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Information at University of Michigan.

Rumors and speculation swirl online after shooting at Washington dinner - 📰 NY Times - no paywall with this “gift article” link 🔑🔗 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t...

Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/t... It wasn’t staged??