False Assumption Registry

Media Bias

42 entries in this category

• Groups Have Equal Innate Potential
  Races and the sexes have the same innate distribution of potential, making all group disparities the result of environmental forces.
  Mainstream still holds this assumption to be true despite evidence against it 26 sources
• Affirmative Action Causes No Reverse Discrimination
  Civil rights protections and affirmative action do not discriminate against white people.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 6 sources
• Race-IQ Inquiry Must Be Silenced
  Open discussion and research on race differences in IQ are so dangerous that they justify censorship, institutional bans, or self-imposed ignorance to prevent racism and stereotypes.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 4 sources
• Gatsby Was Black in Whiteface
  Jay Gatsby's outsider status and ambiguous identity indicate he was a black man passing as white.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 4 sources
• Grooming Gangs Are a Moral Panic
  Concerns about South Asian grooming gangs sexually abusing young white girls in the UK constitute a racist moral panic with no disproportionate ethnic connection to child sexual exploitation.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 3 sources
• Transgenderism Reveals True Inner Self
  Sudden transgender and nonbinary identifications among youth represent authentic innate gender identities finally freed for expression.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 3 sources
• Trans Women Reject Toxic Masculinity
  Transgender women, as former men, do not embody or represent masculinity at its most toxic.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 3 sources
• 2020 Homicide Surge Preceded Floyd
  The large majority of the 29% increase in homicides in 2020 occurred before George Floyd's death on May 25.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 3 sources
• Foreigner Pricing is Xenophobic Discrimination
  Charging foreign tourists and non-residents higher fees for entry to national parks and cultural sites is discriminatory, xenophobic, and racist.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 2 sources
• Sacks' Case Studies Factual Neurology
  Oliver Sacks' published case studies accurately depicted real patients and neurological truths.
  Mainstream now strongly agrees this assumption was false 2 sources
• Capitalizing Black But Not White Shows Respect
  Capitalizing 'Black' honors shared history and identity of people of African origin, while lowercase 'white' is appropriate due to lack of comparable shared culture.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 2 sources
• Trans Skepticism Causes Suicide Genocide
  Skepticism of transgender ideology drives trans people to suicide and equates to genocide.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 2 sources
• Right-Wing Rhetoric Incites Assassinations
  Rhetoric from conservatives like Sarah Palin and the Tea Party motivates shootings of Democrats.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 2 sources
• Racial Reckoning Still Excites Culture Pages
  Cultural commentary remains engaging and relevant when dominated by racial reckoning narratives framing white icons as provocative and black icons as patriotic reclaimers.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 2 sources
• IQ Tests Are a Hoax
  IQ testing is a pseudoscientific hoax that measures arbitrary puzzle-solving ability rather than genuine, hereditary intelligence predictive of life outcomes.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 2 sources
• Deporting Criminal Immigrants is Cruel
  Deporting immigrants who committed serious crimes after serving prison time is unjust if they show rehabilitation and nuance.
  Mainstream still holds this assumption to be true despite evidence against it 2 sources
• Immigrants Can't Oppose Immigration
  Immigrants and their descendants have no moral right to support restrictions on future immigration.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Machado Story Sways Hispanic Voters
  Highlighting Donald Trump's shaming of Miss Universe Alicia Machado would outrage and mobilize Hispanic voters against him.
  Mainstream now strongly agrees this assumption was false 1 sources
• Somali Immigration Sparks Irrational Backlash
  Concerns about Somali Muslim refugees in St. Cloud arise from irrational Islamophobia rather than real security risks.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Time Zones Irrelevant to Sports Globalization
  Time zone differences pose no barrier to American sports leagues expanding their fanbases and revenues in Europe.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Skull Size Reveals No Traits
  The size and shape of the head have no bearing on mental and behavioural traits in either individuals or groups.
  Mainstream still holds this assumption to be true despite evidence against it 1 sources
• Feminists Suffer Distress from Sex Skepticism
  Suggesting innate sex differences in aptitude or physical standards for combat causes feminists severe emotional or physical distress.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Distant Racism Explains Black Problems
  Current black socioeconomic troubles stem from white racism in the distant past rather than events of the last half century.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Woke Remakes Portray Whites as Racist Villains
  Updating classic stories like West Side Story by portraying white characters as racist villains and minority characters as noble victims improves the story and appeals to modern audiences.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 1 sources
• Immigration Concerns Are Far-Right Tropes
  Complaints about mass immigration overwhelming local culture and infrastructure qualify as far-right tropes unworthy of calm, nuanced discussion.
  Mainstream still holds this assumption to be true despite evidence against it 1 sources
• Racial Realism Unneeded for Crime Control
  Effective crime reduction does not require public acknowledgment of racial disparities in murder rates.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 1 sources
• NYT Can Omit Black Homicide Rates
  Mainstream media can safely withhold information on racial gaps in homicide rates from readers without impairing public understanding of key events.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Tenants Caused South Bronx Fires
  The media and elites blamed South Bronx arson fires on welfare tenants rather than landlords torching properties for insurance.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• BLM Media Hype Protects Black Lives
  Intense media promotion of Black Lives Matter improves safety and reduces gun violence in black communities.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Hitler Snubbed Owens for Being Black
  Adolf Hitler refused to shake Jesse Owens' hand and left the stadium specifically because Owens was black, humiliating Nazi racial ideology.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Victim Women Can't Be Fictional Villains
  Members of official victim groups like women cannot be portrayed doing bad things in modern novels or TV shows.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• English Media Tracks Spanish DJs
  Los Angeles English-language media elites closely monitor Spanish-language drive-time radio and its influence on immigrant communities.
  Mainstream now strongly agrees this assumption was false 1 sources
• Slave Ancestors Require Atonement
  Descendants of slave traders and owners must feel deep shame and seek atonement for their ancestors' involvement in slavery.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Woke Debates Forever Settled
  Progressive stances on cultural issues like affirmative action and LGBTQ rights represent irreversible victories on the right side of history.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 1 sources
• All Humans Have Identical Dexterity
  Human populations possess uniform physical traits like finger size and manual dexterity, with no innate group differences affecting precision assembly.
  Mainstream still holds this assumption to be true despite evidence against it 1 sources
• White Flight Driven by Bigotry
  White residents fled urban neighborhoods due to irrational racist stereotypes about black crime and disorder when blacks moved in during the mid-20th century.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Noticing NBA Racial Patterns Dangerous
  Curiosity about racial overrepresentation in NBA performance is unseemly, inappropriate, and leads to discrimination or worse.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Glory Road Broke Basketball Segregation
  Texas Western's 1966 NCAA championship with an all-black starting lineup was a deliberate civil rights milestone that triumphed over Southern racism in college basketball.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Body Diversity Revolutionizes Fashion Modeling
  Featuring plus-size and midsize models on fashion runways advances body inclusivity and represents progressive values in the industry.
  Growing recognition that this assumption was false, but not yet mainstream 1 sources
• Black Genius Bears Racial Burden
  Black musical geniuses like Sly Stone fail under a unique 'burden of black genius' while white rock stars like Led Zeppelin succeed effortlessly and build generational wealth.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Veterans Always Women Inside
  Combat veterans who transition after years of hyper-masculine military service were always transgender women on the inside.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources
• Cannabis Damages Brain Function
  Heavy cannabis use alters brain function and impairs working memory.
  Experts are divided on whether this assumption was actually false 1 sources