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Claim: USA TODAY reported on the restaurant’s decision to remain open.
A Feb. 16 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) shows a seating area at a restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The USA TODAY logo will be superimposed on the image.
The headline reads, “Fort Wayne restaurant ‘The Hoppy Gnome’ is in jeopardy of staying open.’
The caption added: “Worst news I’ve seen in a while.”
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Our rating: changed
The image was altered to include a fabricated headline and logo. USA TODAY is not publishing the report, a spokesperson for the news organization said. The restaurant’s general manager said the restaurant had not made this announcement.
Restaurant “report” does not originate from USA TODAY
USA TODAY does not report or publish articles about Hoppy Gnome, a company spokesperson said.
“The images circulating on Facebook using the outdated USA TODAY logo are fake,” the spokesperson said. “USA TODAY’s fact-checking team reported false content to stop the spread of misinformation.”
Hoppy Gnome was featured in a photo in a 2019 USA TODAY article highlighting the city’s food and culture. But the restaurant has not been the subject of USA TODAY coverage since then.
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Joe Serk, the restaurant’s general manager, told USA TODAY that the restaurant had not made any such announcement.
“Hoppy Gnomes is excited to be a part of Fort Wayne and is currently celebrating its 9th anniversary downtown,” Sark said. “We look forward to many years of being a part of the food scene of this great city we call home.” I apologize to the people.”
USA TODAY previously reported on Harvard medical students discovering secret mineral for weight loss and footage of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s security guard getting “drunk” and starting a brawl in New York City It debunked claims related to unpublished fabrications, such as a video claiming to be.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the post for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-checking sources:
- Joe Sark, Feb. 20, email exchange with USA TODAY
- USA TODAY Spokesperson, Feb. 20 Email exchange with USA TODAY
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