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Fake quote (misattribution)
Putting words in someone's mouth that they never said.
In our replies we call it: Fake quote
What it means
A quote card or caption gives a well-known person a line they never said: usually one that confirms what their critics already believe, or one that borrows their good name. There's no speech, interview or post behind it, only the picture of the quote.
How to spot it in a Reel
- A quote with no date, event or link to where it was said
- A line that sounds exactly like what the person's opponents say about them
- Only quote cards and screenshots, never a video or a transcript
Examples
- Advice about the economy during the pandemic credited to Ratan Tata, who publicly said the words were not his.
- Lines credited to Albert Einstein or Abraham Lincoln that appear in nothing they wrote or said.
Why it doesn't hold up
A quote is a claim that someone said something. If they did, there is a recording, a transcript or a report of it. Without one, it's the creator's words wearing a famous name.
What to say back
"Where and when did they say it? Show the video or the original post."
Questions
How is a fake quote different from an out-of-context clip?
In an out-of-context clip the words are real but cut to change what they mean. A fake quote was never said at all.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
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