CLAIM: An image shows a CNN news story that reported the OceanGate submersible on its way to the Titanic wreckage site was found empty.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The image is fabricated. CNN did not publish any such story, a spokesperson for the network told The Associated Press. The submersible had not been found at the time of publishing.
THE FACTS: As rescuers race against the clock to find the Titan, the lost submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions, social media users on Wednesday shared a fabricated CNN report that falsely claimed the vessel has been found with no one inside.
“Missing OceanGate Submarine Found Empty,” reads the headline. The report continues, saying “the submarine” was found but without any passengers, falsely attributing the information to Wendy Rush, the wife of Stockton Rush, CEO of the company and pilot of the expedition. The report incorrectly identifies her as co-founder of OceanGate. She lists herself on LinkedIn as director of communications and expedition team member for the company.
The fabricated report features an image of an OceanGate vessel below the text. The image also shows a red bar at the top of the screen that reads “CATEGORY.” The byline for the story reads, “CNN News.”
The false claim circulated on Facebook and Instagram.
Emily Kuhn, a spokesperson for CNN, confirmed in an email to the AP that the image was fabricated and this was not a real news report from CNN.
Kuhn also noted the news report does not match CNN’s design or font. The image featured at the bottom of the report is also inaccurate and features the Cyclops 1 Submersible, not the missing Titan submersible.
Altered images from CNN broadcasts and fabricated headlines allegedly published by the outlet have previously spread online.
At the time of publishing, the search continued for the vessel, the Titan went missing on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean and could be about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface, near the watery tomb of the Titanic, according to AP reporting.
The five missing passengers include a renowned Titanic expert, a world-record holding adventurer, two members of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families and Stockton Rush. As of Wednesday, searchers had covered an area twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 1/2 miles deep.
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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online.Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
