Five months into 2026, from AI breakthroughs to celebrity milestones to political shakeups in the Philippines, this year has already delivered headlines that sound straight out of a satirical movie.

For RareJob tutors who spend their days guiding students through grammar, reading comprehension, and more, here’s your turn to test your own media literacy skills.

Some of these headlines are entirely real. Others are completely made up.

 

 

Can You Separate FACT From FAKE?

Test your knowledge! Answer all 15 questions to reveal your score and the correct answers.

1. Scientists from Colossal Biosciences announced plans to bring back the woolly mammoth by 2028 using gene-editing technology. The embryos are to be carried by surrogate Asian elephants.

2. A TikTok trend with over 2 billion views encouraged Gen Z users to recreate their lives from 2016 through fashion, music, and old social media trends, leading to a 71% rise in "2016" playlist searches on Spotify, with tracks like Zara Larsson's "Lush Life" re-entering charts.

3. A software engineer went viral after reportedly using AI tools to attend multiple remote job interviews on his behalf, prompting some tech companies to move away from virtual interviews and return to in-person hiring processes.

4. Jollibee announced a promo giving customers unlimited Chickenjoy for life for only ₱299.

5. Taylor Swift officially joined Forbes’ billionaire list after her global Eras Tour grossed over $1 billion.

6. Researchers developed an AI-powered system that analyzes dolphin sounds to identify complex communication patterns through machine learning. Scientists are studying marine communication through machine learning.

7. Netflix announced it had surpassed 300 million paid subscribers worldwide in early 2026.

8. The Philippine Department of Education permanently removed homework for all students nationwide.

9. On May 11, 2026, more than 250 lawmakers voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte over allegations tied to the misuse of confidential funds.

10. Senator Ronald dela Rosa made headlines following public friction over impending ICC-related arrest proceedings tied to the drug war.

11. On May 12, 2026, the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was embroiled in intense corruption allegations that had spiraled since late 2025. According to the Department of Finance, the country lost an estimated 118.5 billion pesos (about $2 billion) between 2023 and 2025 due to corrupt contracting in flood management.

12. A viral Facebook post claimed the moon would permanently turn blue beginning in June 2026.

13. Palawan was again included in international rankings of Asia’s top islands for tourism in 2026.

14. Countries, including Iceland and the United Kingdom, have expanded four-day workweek trials following highly successful pilot programs. These studies consistently demonstrate that reducing working hours reduces employee burnout and improves overall well-being.

15. OpenAI rolled out new workplace and education tools that sparked debates about whether AI is replacing human creativity.

 

Real news or pure chaos?

How many did you get right?

If this quiz proved anything, it’s that modern headlines are becoming harder to believe every year. Remember: if a headline sounds too wild to be real… it might still be true.  The secret to modern media literacy is simple: Always read beyond the headline, check the source, and verify before you share. 

 

Want to fact-check your answers?

Here are some references if you want to verify the real headlines:

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