Trust Index | KSAT12

Graham Media Group strengthens newsrooms in fight against misinformation

Trust Index is an initiative by KSAT and Graham Media Group to combat misinformation campaigns and verify claims or other online content that could be false or misleading. The goal is to reinforce journalism ethics, give our readers and viewers the facts and an avenue to alert our newsroom to potentially fake or harmful information.

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TRUST INDEX: A pair of popular memes make unfounded claims about border situation

With an increase in media coverage and attention to the rise in migrant crossings into the United States, the use of social media and memes has also increased, many of wh...

TRUST INDEX: When is Tax Day? Viral meme, IRS extensions confuse taxpayers

The meme, posted in 2018, not only gets the deadline wrong for the year it was posted, but it recently went viral, leading many on social media to believe the meme refers...

Data: The number of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in March is highest in 15 years

In March, Border Patrol agents encountered more migrants in a single month than they have since 2006, according to the latest numbers provided by U.S. Customs and Border ...

Data: How the latest spike in migrants at U.S.-Mexico border compares to past years

The influx in migrants is nothing new: it’s a cyclical trend that has fluctuated over the last two decades and is often less tied to the president’s policies and fueled m...

San Antonio archbishop reinforces church’s position regarding Johnson & Johnson vaccine

San Antonio Archdiocese Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller has reinforced the church’s position regarding all three COVID-19 vaccines.

No, Biden did not prohibit Texas power plants from operating at maximum capacity before winter disaster

One claim making the rounds on social media alleged the Biden administration played a role in throttling power production in the name of protecting the environment.

Trust Index: SAWS ‘will not’ shut off water to city amid winter storm

San Antonio Water System officials said Tuesday that rumors about the utility shutting off water to residents is not true.

6 myths about the COVID-19 vaccine that aren’t supported by science

What's the truth about the COVID-19 vaccine? We are officially a year into the coronavirus pandemic and nearly two months into the release of the COVID-19 vaccine that’s ...

Trust Index: COVID-19 vaccine does not alter DNA, medical experts say

The claim that the COVID-19 vaccine will alter your DNA has been widely shared and discussed on social media. KSAT spoke with experts who debunked that claim and explaine...

Doctors address false claim that COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility, sterilization

KSAT is labeling the claim that the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility and sterilization as NOT TRUE.

Trust Index: No, there is not fetal tissue in the COVID-19 vaccines

It is perhaps one of the most asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine: Do the vaccines contain fetal tissue from aborted fetuses?

Trust Index: Does the COVID-19 vaccine contain a tracking device?

Recently, an unfounded social media theory gaining traction online claims that there are microchips and tracking devices in the COVID-19 vaccine.

Trust Index: No evidence Antifa was involved in deadly US Capitol siege

In the hours after President Donald Trump spoke to his supporters who were protesting against the results of the 2020 election, thousands of them sieged upon the Capitol ...

Is deworming drug Ivermectin deemed a safe, effective treatment for COVID-19 right now?

Ivermectin is not FDA approved or NIH recommended right now for COVID-19 treatment and prevention, but people are still taking it off-label and even taking the drug presc...

Trust Index: Posts falsely claim that Tennessee nurse died after getting COVID-19 vaccine

One post that has gone viral on social media falsely claims that a Tennessee nurse died shortly after she was vaccinated.

Trust Index: The biggest claims we fact-checked in 2020

From politician claims to social media rumors that spread like wildfire, KSAT’s Trust Index was there to find the truth behind the allegations.

COVID-19 vaccine: Fact vs. Fiction

Now that the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine is here, questions are flooding in about safety, liability and where everyone can eventually get vaccinated.

Trust Index: A trending meme is inaccurate, but COVID-19 is killing an historic number of people

A trending meme suggests COVID-19 deaths are among the Top 8 deadliest days in U.S. history. The graphic is inaccurate, but there's more to know.

5 ways you can help fight misinformation on Election Day

Professional fact-checkers share how you can help fight misinformation on Election Day 2020.

How Trust Index team will sift through fact and fiction on Election Day

Two global misinformation experts break down how the Trust Index team will be monitoring social media claims to get to the bottom of what's happening during Election Day.

COVID-19 not ‘gone’ in Texas despite President Trump’s debate claim

TRUST INDEX: Are the text messages recruiting people for COVID-19 case studies legitimate?

Two people who received these text messages asking them to participate in a COVID-19 case study for a hefty compensation asked the KSAT Trust Index Team to see if real co...

Disneyland is not moving to Texas from California despite rumor

The rumors about Disneyland leaving California for Texas are not true, according to multiple reports.

Help fight misinformation. Send questionable social media posts to the Trust Index fact-checking team

AP Fact Check: Trump distorts record; Black Lives Matter falsely accused

A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.

As election nears, watch out for ‘pink slime’ local news sites in San Antonio

At first glance, the layout and names of these websites appear to be local news outlets. But when you look closer, they're not what they seem.

AP FACT CHECK: Kamala Harris meets constitutional requirements to serve as VP

AP FACT CHECK: Trump muddies facts on mail ballots, Harris

AP FACT CHECK: Michelle Obama and the kids in ‘cages’ -- what’s true?

The reference to cages is misleading and a matter that Democrats have persistently distorted.

Hey, Siri, what’s the definition of a demon?

Texas Education Agency employees not working from home while requiring teachers to return to classrooms

Do certain blood types make you more susceptible to COVID-19?

No, entire households are not included in COVID-19 count in San Antonio

Trust Index: Valve masks do not stop spread of COVID-19, only ventilates one way

It’s all about size! Why experts say it’s false to say masks don’t filter out coronavirus because odors can get in

Those face mask exemption cards are fake, feds warn

Introducing Trust Index: Our commitment to fighting misinformation with journalism, facts

Trust Index: Can hydrogen peroxide be used as a disinfectant to kill COVID-19?

Wipes and bleach flew off the shelves, leaving the internet to swirl with claims about other products capable of killing COVID-19. What about hydrogen peroxide? It's a q...

Trust Index: The flu shot does not increase your risk of getting COVID-19

It's a claim that's been circulating for weeks: getting the flu shot will increase your risk of getting COVID-19. Even though experts worldwide have debunked the myth, KS...

Trust Index: Do vitamin deficiencies make you more susceptible to COVID-19?

Can vitamin deficiencies make you more susceptible to COVID-19 and worsen your symptoms if you get it? That's something KSAT viewers have asked, many people saying they s...