“Covid is never going away! This is the beach today in Raleigh, North Carolina.”
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Photo shows a Brazil beach in 2013, not Raleigh (or elsewhere) during the pandemic
If Your Time is short
- This photo was taken in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, when the Pope gave a mass there.
The description of an image being shared on social media despairs that the coronavirus pandemic will never end.
"People will never listen!" reads the text above a photo of a beach packed with people. "Covid is never going away! This is the beach today in Raleigh, North Carolina."
We have found posts that put the image in other locations, including one that claimed it was taken "today at the beach in Indianapolis, IN."
They were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
That’s because it’s a photo of a beach in Brazil in 2013. The caption of a similar shot from Reuters says: "Catholic faithful camp out on Copacabana Beach to participate in an all-night vigil before Pope Francis gives mass to those attending World Youth Day, in Rio de Janeiro."
Featured Fact-check
Other photos from that day are here.
We’ve previously fact-checked a claim that a different photo from this event showed Jacksonville Beach in Florida during the pandemic. Of course, that wasn’t true either.
And, um, Raleigh isn't on the coast of North Carolina.
We rate this post Pants on Fire.
Update (July 8, 2020): This story has been updated to reflect that social media posts are falsely claiming this photo from Brazil was taken in a number of different locations.
Our Sources
Facebook post, July 4, 2020
Reuters photo, July 27, 2013
Daily Mail, Sunbathers join nuns on Rio’s Copacabana beach as one million Catholics gather for evening service with the Pope, July 27, 2013
PolitiFact, Photo of packed beach is from Brazil in 2013, not Jacksonville Beach in 2020, April 23, 2020
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
Photo shows a Brazil beach in 2013, not Raleigh (or elsewhere) during the pandemic
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.