A photo shows Australian TV host David Koch being detained by police.
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Doctored photo appears to show Australian TV host David Koch under arrest
If Your Time is short
- This photo was doctored. David Koch wasn’t arrested.
David Koch, the longest-serving morning television host in Australia, recently announced he was leaving the show he had helmed for more than two decades.
But news of his retirement comes amid death and arrest hoaxes.
"Just for clarity I’m alive and well," Koch tweeted April 14, responding to a post claiming he had died.
A few days later, a Facebook post with an image of what looked like Koch being detained by police started spreading online.
"Shocking scandal rocks Aussies society," the April 20 post said.
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It was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
This image has been doctored.
Featured Fact-check
A reverse-image search led us to the original photo featured in 2021 news coverage of anti-lockdown protests. The person being detained isn’t Koch.
Clicking a link in the Facebook post that says "confirming the allegations against Koch: the latest news," leads to a page that doesn’t open, though the URL doesn’t scream credible news source: anniedotcreative.com.
We found no evidence to support the claim that Koch was arrested, and a doctored photo is certainly not proof. We rate this post False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, April 20, 2023
YouTube, Victoria police checking homes in three-day blitz | Coronavirus | 9 News Australia, July 30, 2021
Independent, Australian police clash with anti-lockdown protesters as violence flares in Melbourne and Sydney, Sept. 18, 2021
David Koch tweet, April 14, 2023
The Guardian, Channel 7’s David Koch is angry about an internet death rumour scam. What is it all about?, April 24, 2023
The Guardian, David Koch announces he is leaving Sunrise after 21 years, May 28, 2023
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Doctored photo appears to show Australian TV host David Koch under arrest
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