Rightwing propagandists are known for being a pack of liars who falsify “proof” of their claims. You can do almost anything to a photo or video with readily available software. Almost immediately after the tragic massacre at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, several rightwing websites ran this bogus story about CNN:
The image is fake, and so is the claim that CNN broadcast this doctored image in an effort to depict Umpqua shooter Chris Harper-Mercer as a white person. CNN is a favorite target of rightwing vilifiers, who think the network leans left (translation: it’s not as right-biased as Fox), and are worked up over the media attention being given to protests of police violence against black people. The origins of this hoax are traced by debunking website Snopes.com here, which rates the claim against CNN as “False.” The Snopes article also contains an example of an altered screenshot, with CNN again the target of the lie. Note the third and fourth comments under the article:
#3 From Libby: “You people are so biased that no one believes ANYTHING you have to say now. You’ve been bought and sold by the left. So while this may be true, we can’t verify it by checking snopes.com! You’re no different from politicians now. You’re discredited! We don’t believe a damn word you have to say! Good luck with your lack of credibility!
#4 Reply by Snopes founder David Mikkelson: “TRANSLATION: ‘I’m disgruntled that the facts you document don’t validate my personal biases.'”
I suppose it’s only natural so many rightwingers convinced themselves that 98% of the world’s reputable climate scientists are liars. After all, America’s political right is thoroughly inured to using character assassination, photoshopping, and fabrication to further their own agenda, so it’s not too shocking that they assume everyone else is as dishonest as they are.