Is Disney battling Florida for an exemption to allow 18-year-olds to drink on their property?

MediaWise

24 Oct 202204:31

Summary

TLDRA viral TikTok video claims Disney is lobbying to lower the drinking age to 18 at its parks, but this has been debunked. The video is part of PBS NewsHour's 'Is This Legit?' series, which investigates misinformation. The original source, Mousetrap News, was found to be a satire site that produces fake stories about Disney. The video encourages viewers to check sources, bios, and site details to identify satire or misinformation before sharing. Ultimately, the claim is rated 'not legit,' as no evidence supports it, and it originates from a satirical website.

Takeaways

🎢 Disney World is known for its thrilling rides and delicious food.
📱 A viral TikTok video from Mousetrap News suggests Disney is lobbying to lower the drinking age to 18 within the park.
🏢 Disney is supposedly battling the Florida government in court for a resort exemption to allow 18+ to drink.
🕵️‍♂️ The video encourages viewers to check the source and evidence before believing viral claims.
🔍 The article from Mousetrap News lacks evidence, sources, or court filings.
❌ The writing in the article has punctuation mistakes and no byline, which raises suspicion.
👤 Checking Mousetrap News' bio reveals it's a satire site, indicating the story is fake.
📚 The 'About' page of the website confirms Mousetrap News is a satire site, writing fake stories about Disney.
🤔 Satire is false information presented humorously to make a point, but it can be mistaken for misinformation.
📈 Examples of satire include The Onion, ClickHole, Saturday Night Live, and The Daily Show.
🔎 Tips for recognizing satire include researching the author, investigating the site's 'About' page, and questioning absurd claims.
❌ The claim about Disney lowering the drinking age is rated as not legit.

Q & A

What is the main claim in the viral Tick Tock video from Mousetrap News?
-The main claim is that Disney World is lobbying the Florida government to lower the drinking age within the park to 18.
What does the term 'reading upstream' refer to in the context of the script?
-Reading upstream refers to the practice of following the links provided in a viral post to find the original source and evidence for the claim being made.
Why is the lack of a byline on the Mousetrap News article suspicious?
-A byline typically indicates the author of a news article, and most legitimate news sites include one. The absence of a byline can suggest that the source is not credible.
What does the bio of Mousetrap News on Tick Tock reveal about the authenticity of their content?
-The bio of Mousetrap News states that they provide 'real Disney news that is a hundred percent fake,' indicating that their content is satirical and not meant to be taken as factual.
What is the purpose of the 'About' page on a news organization's website?
-The 'About' page typically provides information about the type of news covered, the organization behind the site, and can help determine if the site is biased or not credible.
What does the first sentence on Mousetrap News' 'About' page reveal about their content?
-The first sentence on Mousetrap News' 'About' page states that they are a satire site and anything read on their site is not true, real, or accurate but is meant to be fun.
What is the definition of satire as it relates to the content on Mousetrap News?
-Satire is a form of humor that uses false information to make a point. It is meant to be humorous and not factual, but it can be mistaken for real news if readers do not recognize it as satire.
Why can satirical stories become misinformation?
-Satirical stories can become misinformation when people do not realize they are satire and share them as if they are factual.
What was the mistake made by The New York Post in 2010 regarding a satirical news story?
-The New York Post mistook a satirical story from njuz.net about a Serbian man killing a shark with his butt while drunk as a real news story.
What are the three tips provided in the script to help recognize online satire?
-The three tips are: 1) Research the author to verify their credibility, 2) Investigate the site itself, especially the 'About' page, and 3) If the story seems too absurd or ridiculous, it might be satire.
What is the final rating given to the claim about Disney lowering the drinking age in the script?
-The claim is rated as 'not legit' due to the lack of evidence, transparency about the author, and the clear satirical intent of the story.

Outlines

00:00

📰 Debunking Disney World's Drinking Age Rumor

The video script discusses a viral TikTok video from Mousetrap News claiming that Disney World is lobbying the Florida government to lower the drinking age within the park to 18. The video aims to verify the legitimacy of this claim. The host, Ian, starts by researching the source article mentioned in the video, which lacks evidence and has poor writing quality, indicating it might not be credible. The absence of a byline and the clunky writing style raise suspicions. Further investigation into Mousetrap News's bio reveals that it is a satire site, confirmed by its 'About' page stating that all content is fictional and not accurate. The video concludes with tips on recognizing satire online to avoid spreading misinformation and rates the claim as not legit.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Disney World

Disney World is a world-renowned theme park known for its thrilling rides and delicious food. In the context of the video, it is central to the discussion about a potential change in the drinking age policy within the park. The video script mentions Disney World's lobbying efforts to lower the drinking age, which would affect the park's visitors and operations.

💡Drinking Age

The drinking age refers to the minimum age at which a person is allowed to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages. The video script discusses a viral claim that Disney World is trying to lower the drinking age within the park to 18, which would be a significant change in policy and a point of contention.

💡Lobbying

Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in government, typically legislators or members of regulatory agencies. In the video, it is mentioned that Disney World is supposedly lobbying the Florida government to lower the drinking age within the park, which is a key claim that the video seeks to verify.

💡Exemption

An exemption is a release or immunity from an obligation or duty, typically a tax, fee, or legal requirement. The video discusses Disney's alleged attempt to get a resort exemption to allow 18-year-olds to drink on their property, which would be a special privilege different from general laws.

💡Viral

Viral refers to content that spreads rapidly and widely on the internet, often becoming popular or famous. The video script mentions a viral Tick Tock video that claims Disney World is lobbying to change the drinking age, which is the catalyst for the discussion in the video.

💡Mousetrap News

Mousetrap News is mentioned in the video as the source of the viral claim about Disney World. It is identified as a satirical news site, which means the information it publishes is intended to be humorous and not factual. This is a crucial point in the video's fact-checking process.

💡Satire

Satire is a genre of humor that uses irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Mousetrap News is described as a satire site in the video, which means the story about Disney World is not meant to be taken as factual news.

💡Misinformation

Misinformation refers to false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is an intent to mislead. The video discusses how satirical content from sites like Mousetrap News can become misinformation when people mistake it for real news and share it as fact.

💡Fact-checking

Fact-checking is the act of verifying the accuracy of statements made in the media. The video series 'Is This Legit' is focused on fact-checking viral claims, such as the one about Disney World lowering the drinking age, to determine their legitimacy.

💡Legit

Legit, short for legitimate, refers to something that is genuine, recognized, or authorized. In the context of the video, 'Is This Legit' is the series' name, and it is used to evaluate whether the viral claim about Disney World is genuine or not.

💡Evidence

Evidence is the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid. The video emphasizes the importance of evidence, such as sources or court filings, in verifying claims, which is lacking in the case of the Disney World drinking age rumor.

Highlights

Disney World is the most famous theme park, and a viral TikTok video claims it is lobbying to lower the drinking age to 18.

The TikTok video states that Disney is battling the Florida government in court to get a resort exemption for allowing 18-year-olds to drink.

The TikTok video suggests this move could generate more revenue for Disney.

MediaWise and PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs aim to debunk viral misinformation through their series 'Is This Legit?'.

The first step in verifying the claim is to check the source article, which is from Mousetrap News.

The article from Mousetrap News lacks evidence, sources, or court filings to support the claim about Disney lobbying for a lower drinking age.

The article’s clunky writing, punctuation mistakes, and lack of a byline raise suspicions about its legitimacy.

One quick tip for verifying online information is to check the bio of the source, such as a TikTok user’s profile.

Mousetrap News's TikTok bio states that it provides 'real Disney news that is 100% fake,' indicating it's a satire site.

Mousetrap News’s about page confirms it is a satire site that writes fake stories for entertainment purposes.

Satire can sometimes be mistaken for misinformation when people share it as factual content.

Examples of satire include The Onion, ClickHole, and The Daily Show, which aim to entertain, but can be confused for real news.

In 2010, the New York Post ran a false story from a satirical site about a Serbian man accidentally killing a shark.

To recognize satire, it’s important to research the author, investigate the site, and check the absurdity of the story.

Final verdict: There is no evidence to support Disney lobbying to lower the drinking age. The claim is rated as not legit.