CLAIM: CNN has reported on Zimbabwean President offering to help Nigeria fight corruption
VERDICT: False. The image in circulation is a meme generated online
An image that has gone viral on social media among Zimbabweans purports to show a CNN report on President Emmerson Mnangagwa offering to help Nigeria fight corruption.
The image is fake.
How can we tell? The image was made using a free online app that allows users to create fake images bearing the CNN logo. The template used in this case is from the website imgflip.com.
The website has a template featuring a blank space at the bottom of pictures of several CNN anchors. A user can then caption the pictures by filling in the black spaces with whatever headline they choose.
They can then generate what looks like a genuine CNN image and share it online.
Here are examples of other fake images made using the same template:
There are many such websites and applications that allow users to create fake images.
We have also reported previously on apps that enable users to create fake tweets and even fake WhatsApp messages. In one recent example, a fake Tweet purported to show that MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa had tweeted that he had requested a meeting with President Mnangagwa.
Conclusion
No, CNN did not report on any offer by Zimbabwe’s President to help Nigeria fight corruption. The claim is made using a fake CNN image generated online. New such news item has been reported by any media.