Video showing news anchors reciting Taylor Swift 'psy-op' script is fabricated | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Video shows news anchors saying, 'Taylor Swift is not a psy-op'

A Feb. 1 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows dozens of clips of news anchors saying, "Taylor Swift is not a psyop" in an identical fashion.

At the end of the video, the anchors say, "This is extremely dangerous to our democracy" in unison.

The post, originally shared on TikTok, garnered more than 3,000 likes in three days. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Instagram, Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.

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The video's audio is digitally fabricated. The original 2018 video shows the anchors reading an identical script about journalistic integrity, as required by their parent company.

Psy-op audio is fabricated

Some social media users began claiming musician Taylor Swift was a psychological operation soldier, also known as a "psy-op," after a Fox News anchor suggested she was working for the Pentagon to influence public opinion.

But the Instagram video supposedly showing local news anchors debunking this claim is not real. The audio is digitally fabricated.

The original version of the video, shared on Twitter in 2018 by sports network Deadspin, shows various anchors reading from a script about journalistic integrity and the danger of misinformation. The video includes the mashup of the anchors saying, "This is extremely dangerous to our democracy."

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The script was written by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the nation's largest broadcaster, and distributed to its nearly 200 news stations at the time, NPR reported. The reportedly "must-run" segment was ordered in response to the outcry about "fake news" from supporters of former President Donald Trump.

USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The TikTok user couldn't be contacted.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Audio from Taylor Swift 'psy-op' news video is fabricated | Fact check