Maria Flannery
@maria.ebu.ch
Verification, fact-checking and OSINT at the EBU.
COP30 is here!
We've done a huge prebunk of claims circulating about COP summits, the credentials of Brazil, and how best to tackle the climate emergency.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/from-clima...
We've done a huge prebunk of claims circulating about COP summits, the credentials of Brazil, and how best to tackle the climate emergency.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/from-clima...
From climate science to economic fear: Prebunking the narratives aiming to delegitimize COP30
Analysis of 70,000 social media posts unearth the pressing narratives aimed at delegitimizing global climate goals
spotlight.ebu.ch
November 10, 2025 at 8:21 AM
COP30 is here!
We've done a huge prebunk of claims circulating about COP summits, the credentials of Brazil, and how best to tackle the climate emergency.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/from-clima...
We've done a huge prebunk of claims circulating about COP summits, the credentials of Brazil, and how best to tackle the climate emergency.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/from-clima...
Reposted by Maria Flannery
Krisen sind immer ein gutes Einfallstor für Fakes. Zum Hurricane Melissa kursieren spektakuläre KI-Videos und altes Material. 🦈
@maria.ebu.ch warnt vorm Risiko für vielbeschäftigte Redaktionen, die in kurzen Nachrichtenzyklen nach Inhalten suchen.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/deluge-of-...
@maria.ebu.ch warnt vorm Risiko für vielbeschäftigte Redaktionen, die in kurzen Nachrichtenzyklen nach Inhalten suchen.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/deluge-of-...
Deluge of AI-generated and old content masks true impact of Hurricane Melissa
This storm was highly anticipated before it made landfall — leaving plenty of time for view-hungry content creators to make fakes
spotlight.ebu.ch
October 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Krisen sind immer ein gutes Einfallstor für Fakes. Zum Hurricane Melissa kursieren spektakuläre KI-Videos und altes Material. 🦈
@maria.ebu.ch warnt vorm Risiko für vielbeschäftigte Redaktionen, die in kurzen Nachrichtenzyklen nach Inhalten suchen.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/deluge-of-...
@maria.ebu.ch warnt vorm Risiko für vielbeschäftigte Redaktionen, die in kurzen Nachrichtenzyklen nach Inhalten suchen.
spotlight.ebu.ch/p/deluge-of-...
Our investigation: an agency of the Israeli government deployed cross-platform advertising and used state social media accounts to directly target and encourage the public in participating countries to vote for the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest
Israeli government agency paid for adverts targeting Eurovision Song Contest public vote
All participating countries were targeted with ads on Google products
spotlight.ebu.ch
May 20, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Our investigation: an agency of the Israeli government deployed cross-platform advertising and used state social media accounts to directly target and encourage the public in participating countries to vote for the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest
Wrote this review of the week in fact-checks, featuring our colleagues from RTVE🇪🇸 VRT🇧🇪 SVT🇸🇪 EBU🇨🇭 BBC🇬🇧 and Deutsche Welle🇩🇪
Free to read & subscribe! 💡
Free to read & subscribe! 💡
Fact-Check Dispatch
Issue 15 of the Spotlight Fact-Check Dispatch
spotlight.ebu.ch
April 16, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Wrote this review of the week in fact-checks, featuring our colleagues from RTVE🇪🇸 VRT🇧🇪 SVT🇸🇪 EBU🇨🇭 BBC🇬🇧 and Deutsche Welle🇩🇪
Free to read & subscribe! 💡
Free to read & subscribe! 💡
Someone I know died recently. In the Facebook comments beneath articles about his tragic death, there's an influx of spam comments among the condolences, containing links purporting to show the accident that killed him.
April 12, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Someone I know died recently. In the Facebook comments beneath articles about his tragic death, there's an influx of spam comments among the condolences, containing links purporting to show the accident that killed him.
As a catholic, nothing more jarring to me than seeing a dude wearing a hoodie preaching onstage somewhere in the vicinity of a drum set
April 4, 2025 at 3:24 PM
As a catholic, nothing more jarring to me than seeing a dude wearing a hoodie preaching onstage somewhere in the vicinity of a drum set
Bold of us to assume they're not also living in a society
April 3, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Bold of us to assume they're not also living in a society
Reposted by Maria Flannery
My Animal Crossing island just got hit with 10% tariffs
April 2, 2025 at 11:00 PM
My Animal Crossing island just got hit with 10% tariffs
The fact that people keep asking Grok to explain or confirm stories on X instead of activating a few brain cells is enough to make you despair for the future
This Grok-created summary is not backed up by *literally even one* tweet in the lengthy run of messages beneath it.
April 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM
The fact that people keep asking Grok to explain or confirm stories on X instead of activating a few brain cells is enough to make you despair for the future
Reposted by Maria Flannery
When Trump says these tariffs are “reciprocal” it’s important to know he’s counting stuff like VAT – which is charged on domestic products as well as imports – as tariffs, which no-one else does. Because they’re not.
So the numbers he’s giving are all nonsense.
So the numbers he’s giving are all nonsense.
April 2, 2025 at 8:36 PM
When Trump says these tariffs are “reciprocal” it’s important to know he’s counting stuff like VAT – which is charged on domestic products as well as imports – as tariffs, which no-one else does. Because they’re not.
So the numbers he’s giving are all nonsense.
So the numbers he’s giving are all nonsense.
Oh so we've gone full game-show
April 2, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Oh so we've gone full game-show
Reposted by Maria Flannery
Two Irish citizens ordered to leave Germany over pro-Palestinian protests despite no convictions
Two Irish citizens ordered to leave Germany over pro-Palestinian protests despite no convictions
Lawyers say the move undermines civil liberties for EU citizens
www.irishtimes.com
April 1, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Two Irish citizens ordered to leave Germany over pro-Palestinian protests despite no convictions
Reposted by Maria Flannery
Women protesting outside Leinster House strip-searched, one subjected to cavity search
Women protesting outside Leinster House strip-searched, one subjected to cavity search
TDs protest at Garda treatment, Taoiseach did not understand ‘necessity for any strip-searching’
www.irishtimes.com
April 1, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Women protesting outside Leinster House strip-searched, one subjected to cavity search
The year is 2025. Amazon finally launches in Ireland.
March 18, 2025 at 7:37 AM
The year is 2025. Amazon finally launches in Ireland.
Reposted by Maria Flannery
In advance of #stpatricksday, here's a thread of essential articles about Irish stuff which you can present to international friends who wish to understand us better.
First up: a tale of two Taytos, by Róisín Lanigan.
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/4005...
First up: a tale of two Taytos, by Róisín Lanigan.
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/4005...
A tale of two Taytos: How an anthropomorphic crisp became a symbol for Irish identity
How a half-man half-crisp in a suit became a symbol of the Irish diaspora—and an important part of the Brexit deliberations
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
March 16, 2025 at 10:37 AM
In advance of #stpatricksday, here's a thread of essential articles about Irish stuff which you can present to international friends who wish to understand us better.
First up: a tale of two Taytos, by Róisín Lanigan.
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/4005...
First up: a tale of two Taytos, by Róisín Lanigan.
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/4005...
From an Irish perspective, it has always seemed utterly bizarre that the head of state of Canada is the British monarch.
So it's even more dumbfounding to imagine their king inviting Donald Trump for a state visit in the face of the wild threats he's made against Canada, one of his territories.
So it's even more dumbfounding to imagine their king inviting Donald Trump for a state visit in the face of the wild threats he's made against Canada, one of his territories.
March 15, 2025 at 10:53 AM
From an Irish perspective, it has always seemed utterly bizarre that the head of state of Canada is the British monarch.
So it's even more dumbfounding to imagine their king inviting Donald Trump for a state visit in the face of the wild threats he's made against Canada, one of his territories.
So it's even more dumbfounding to imagine their king inviting Donald Trump for a state visit in the face of the wild threats he's made against Canada, one of his territories.
Ireland, do your thing (find out exactly what Mayo village Mark Carney's grandparents came from)
March 10, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Ireland, do your thing (find out exactly what Mayo village Mark Carney's grandparents came from)
Great to see Danny Dyer doing absolute bits. Although for me I fear he's never going to beat his "trotters up" run
Danny Dyer calls David Cameron 'a twat' over Brexit
YouTube video by Guardian News
youtu.be
February 28, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Great to see Danny Dyer doing absolute bits. Although for me I fear he's never going to beat his "trotters up" run
Reposted by Maria Flannery
I am ordering all of my opinion-writing employees to only write about the importance of personal liberty, if they don't want to write on the assigned topic, they will lose their jobs
February 26, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I am ordering all of my opinion-writing employees to only write about the importance of personal liberty, if they don't want to write on the assigned topic, they will lose their jobs
Watching the Lotto ad where the guy builds an elaborate water slide in his neighbourhood:
"As if the council would ever approve that"
"As if the council would ever approve that"
February 9, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Watching the Lotto ad where the guy builds an elaborate water slide in his neighbourhood:
"As if the council would ever approve that"
"As if the council would ever approve that"
Fully agree with Donal Skehan that Ireland should have a national song contest, separate from the Late Late Show.
Let's do an Irish Sanremo that our top talent can be proud to enter — for the prestige of it alone, with Eurovision entry as an additional perk! #Eurosong
Let's do an Irish Sanremo that our top talent can be proud to enter — for the prestige of it alone, with Eurovision entry as an additional perk! #Eurosong
February 7, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Fully agree with Donal Skehan that Ireland should have a national song contest, separate from the Late Late Show.
Let's do an Irish Sanremo that our top talent can be proud to enter — for the prestige of it alone, with Eurovision entry as an additional perk! #Eurosong
Let's do an Irish Sanremo that our top talent can be proud to enter — for the prestige of it alone, with Eurovision entry as an additional perk! #Eurosong
Forever enthralled by this story — @francemidwest.bsky.social
Hopes remains in Belgium are those of Irish war hero
There are hopes that human remains found at the site of an ancient church in Belgium could be those of Irish war hero Patrick Sarsfield.
www.rte.ie
January 31, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Forever enthralled by this story — @francemidwest.bsky.social
Everyone's going mad for the Garda tractor but may I present:
January 11, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Everyone's going mad for the Garda tractor but may I present: