In its ongoing efforts to combat misinformation surrounding hurricane relief, the White House has launched an official Reddit page.
The first post, uploaded on Tuesday, was a photo of President Joe Biden holding a briefing on the preparations for Hurricane Milton and the latest in recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene.
The Reddit page will continue to be updated with information on the federal government’s actions and include subreddits for state-specific information.
RELATED STORY | Florida begins feeling effects of Hurricane Milton, including tornadoes
The whirlwind of rumors and baseless conspiracies spread online following natural disasters or major weather events has grown extensively over the last couple of years, but it seems to be reaching an all-time high following the devastation of Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.
Officials said debunking disinformation is getting in the way of actual relief efforts.
Here's what some of the White House Reddit posts look like - this is a new one this AM https://t.co/TZhEFV3c62 pic.twitter.com/KdxPkq3nFK
— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) October 9, 2024
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently launched a "rumor response" page, asking the public to do "three easy things:" find trusted sources, share information from those sources and discourage others from sharing information not from verified sources.
In hard-hit North Carolina, the Department of Public Safety created its own version of a rumor response page, calling out the "many false reports and misinformation being shared on social media about the response to Hurricane Helene."
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper posted on X that "impacted areas have been the target of a relentless vortex of disinformation."
RELATED STORY | How debunking disinformation 'junk' became a crucial disaster relief response
The false information began with former President Donald Trump on Truth Social baselessly accusing FEMA of "going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas."
Trump repeated the baseless claim on Fox News. "They're being treated very badly in the Republican areas" he said. "They're not getting water. They're not getting anything."
Many posts on X further amplified the claim, saying that FEMA also wasn't providing relief to certain communities because they are White.
"There are important people, people who have power, privilege who are spreading these falsehoods and they need to stop," Senior Adviser to the President Karine Jean-Pierre said during a White House press briefing Monday.
Click here to donate to hurricane relief efforts through the Scripps Howard Fund.
