Says CNN said “Taliban fighters responsibly wearing masks.”
Get PolitiFact in your inbox.
No, CNN didn’t praise the Taliban for wearing masks
Some critics of CNN have recently panned how the network has covered the Taliban’s rapid rise to power in Afghanistan — and CNN has pushed back — but an image that some people have been sharing out of context was created in the name of satire.
It looks like a still from a CNN broadcast from Kabul with this chyron: "Taliban fighters responsibly wearing masks."
One person sharing the image on Instagram wrote: "@cnn is praising how responsible the Taliban is for wearing mask."
Featured Fact-check
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
This image was taken from the Babylon Bee, a satire site. While many posts sharing the image show the site’s logo or name, others don’t and are presenting the joke as fact. It’s not.
We rate claims otherwise False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, Aug. 15, 2021
USA Today, CNN slams Ted Cruz for mocking journalist Clarissa Ward over the head covering she wore in Kabul, Aug. 16, 2021
The Babylon Bee, CNN praises Taliban for wearing masks during attack. Aug. 14, 2021
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
No, CNN didn’t praise the Taliban for wearing masks
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.