One of the science commentators at the News Literacy Project (@newslitproject) took to TikTok to debunk claims from a misleading "meme" about ice in Antarctica.

@newslitproject Come for the velour tracksuit reference; leave with an Earth Day lesson on cherry-picked stats & the importance of context. #NewsLiteracy #EarthDay2025 #ClimateChange #DataLiteracy ♬ original sound - News Literacy Project

In the video, the TikToker shared a screenshot of a post with two graphs of Antarctic sea ice from the same day, 45 years apart.

Many news organizations jumped in to fact-check the claim. For example, Reuters reported that data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center showed that there was more sea ice on most days in 1979 than in 2024. 

Despite that, the caption on the post with the two graphs suggested that scientists were being dishonest about the decrease in sea ice.

The speaker in the video also debunked the meme, explaining that using isolated data instead of long-term trends is often misleading.

To prove her point, she provided an example of her wearing an outfit in 2003 and again in 2025. She explained that if you looked at it the same way as the Antarctic ice meme, that would imply that the outfit had been "in style" for over 20 years.

The speaker described this way of interpreting data as "cherry-picking," or only counting evidence that supports one specific hypothesis. She clarified that this contradicts scientific principles and disregards objectivity.

Further explaining the issue, the TikToker noted that cherry-picking is common in climate stories. Some individuals use data from real sources but don't provide the correct context, which blurs the line between fact and fiction.

To combat this issue, the TikToker suggested you explore critical climate issues in a new way. She explained that you should do an internet search on the topic, add the words "fact check," then limit the results to news. That way, you should be able to see if there are any articles debunking the claim in question.

She demonstrated what that would look like for the Antarctic ice meme. The news results showed that the claim was false and that there was more ice in 1979 than in 2024, just as Reuters reported.

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Other organizations, including The Guardian and Dartmouth College, have also provided evidence of declining sea ice levels.

To drive the point home, the TikToker emphasized, "Real numbers can be used to tell a fake story. If you see a shocking stat, there's a chance you might not have all the information."

Commenters were appreciative of the explanation. One person wrote, "Honestly, more people need to watch this just to know how to do research regardless of the topic."

Another was grateful for the video, saying, "Thank you for showing this!"

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