Samantha Putterman

Contributing writer

Samantha Putterman is a contributing writer for PolitiFact. Previously, she reported for the Bradenton Herald and the Tampa Bay Times. She is a graduate of USF St. Petersburg, where she majored in journalism and media studies.

The latest Truth-O-Meter items from Samantha Putterman

Get your daily hoaxes here, fresh and hot.

Facebook posts

Says Mark Zuckerberg invented the word "BFF," and if it doesn’t appear green after you type it in a Facebook comment, your account has been hacked.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Tuesday, June 18th, 2019

Tottenham wishes it was a Trump parade

Viral image

Says a photo taken in England shows "thousands of English Trump supporters" celebrating the president’s visit.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Monday, June 17th, 2019

Devil's still down in Georgia, makin' up fake quotes

Facebook posts

Says singer Charlie Daniels said, "voting for Trump is like playing country music backwards … you get your house back, your car back, your job back, your country back!"

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Thursday, June 13th, 2019

Extra deepfake fakery made by artists

Instagram posts

A video of Mark Zuckerberg shows him talking about controlling "billions of people’s stolen data" to control the future.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Wednesday, June 12th, 2019

Different person. Different year. Different country.

Viral image

Says a viral photo shows Susan B. Anthony being "beaten and arrested for trying to vote" in 1872.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Wednesday, June 12th, 2019

This claim is infectious

Facebook posts

Says six eradicated diseases such as whooping cough and the bubonic plague are making a comeback "thanks to refugees and illegal immigrants."

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Monday, June 10th, 2019

Do better, internet

Viral image

Says Donald Trump is the first sitting U.S. president in 56 years to not attend a wreath-laying ceremony on Veterans Day.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Monday, June 10th, 2019

Yeah, no, don't do that

Facebook posts

Says swabbing a tick with a soap-soaked cotton ball is a "safe, easy way" to remove them from skin.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Friday, June 7th, 2019

"The internet lies" -Thomas Jefferson

Facebook posts

Quotes Thomas Jefferson as saying that "a government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Thursday, June 6th, 2019

Red Solo cup, I fill you up

Viral image

Says the lines on the signature Solo cup are actually markings to designate various measurements.

— PolitiFact Facebook fact-checks on Wednesday, June 5th, 2019

Recent stories from Samantha Putterman

Did Donald Trump pay hundreds of workers to help in search-and-rescue efforts days after 9/11?

Since Sept. 11, 2001, President Donald Trump has faced criticism and backlash for things he has done and said involving that tragic day, but one meme making the rounds on social media paints him as a hero in the days immediately following the attacks.

By Samantha Putterman. Published on Wednesday, March 13th, 2019 at 1:34 p.m.

Photo of Covington students in black paint at a basketball game goes viral. Here's what we know

The viral photo of Covington Catholic fans is real. The circumstances may not be what they appear.

By Samantha Putterman. Published on Friday, January 25th, 2019 at 12:01 p.m.

Man behind viral border wall GoFundMe fundraiser also peddled false news

A veteran from Florida started a now-viral GoFundMe fundraiser to help fund Trump's border wall, but his past includes running conspiracy theory news sites often cited for promoting false and inflammatory content.

By Samantha Putterman. Published on Friday, December 21st, 2018 at 2:36 p.m.