Answers that understand
your confusion

Ask the desk whether a story is real. You get the true news hook, the joke on top and a clear line between them.

Is this real? New question
Why did letters asking “is this real?” jump last month?
Reasoning
Letters went 41 → 112 in one week. Two stories tell most of it.
1. The werewolf story is the biggest driver. Walker really did talk about werewolves at a rally. The bigotry part is our one step further.

Letters asking “is this real?”

Last 30 days
This monthLast month
This month
Ask the desk…
EKEleanor Book club

Which campaigns have the most made-up aides? Should we be worried?

DMDarnell Civics teacher

Can I use the Whelan story in class to explain how satire works?

Deep answers,
powered by the desk

The question

“Which parts of your Booker story are real?”

The answer

  • The Senate really did relax its dress code in September 2023, and reversed it about a week later.
  • The shorts, the parliamentarian ruling and every quote are satire.
  • No senator was harmed or exposed in the writing of this piece.

Verdict

Real hook Satire on top

Key claims

ClaimWhenStatus
Senate relaxed its dress codeSep 2023Real
Senator wore pink shorts to the floorSep 2023Satire
Twitter poll asked Musk to step downDec 2022Real
Trump Jr. named Twitter CEODec 2022Satire
Walker spoke about werewolves at a rallyNov 2022Real
“Anti-werewolf bigotry” statementDec 2022Satire

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Real and fake, side by side

We always name the real event under a story and mark where the satire starts.

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Aimed upward

We answer questions about the powerful. We do not mock the person asking.

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