There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from having to explain yourself over and over again, especially when the accusations are not just wrong but deliberately hurtful. That’s the position Decatur Pride found itself in after a wave of social media disinformation began to spread through the community. The Mercer County Outlook, a local news outlet, reported on how the organization responded to the rumors, and the story feels all too familiar. In any small town, word travels fast. But now it travels faster than ever, through Facebook shares, forwarded screenshots, and anonymous comments. What starts as one misleading…

Imagine waking up one morning and scrolling through your phone, only to see a list of names and details that appear to be official records of families receiving government assistance. For many people in Jamaica, this is exactly what happened recently when a document began circulating online, supposedly showing beneficiary records under the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) assistance programme. The table looked serious, perhaps even convincing, and it quickly made its way through social media platforms and messaging apps. But there was a problem: it was not real. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has…