A Fake Headline Was Falsely Attributed to The Guardian

2nd March 2023

A Fake Headline Was Falsely Attributed to The Guardian

The Guardian reported shortages of several fresh fruits and vegetables (Twitter)

The Claim

“Britain will look back at the Great Tomato Famine of 2023 and wish they were less racist,” says an article published by The Guardian.

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Emerging story

Social media users have circulated a screenshot that purportedly shows a headline published by The Guardian.

According to the claim, the headline reads: “Britain will look back at the Great Tomato Famine of 2023 and wish they were less racist.”

According to the alleged screenshot, the headline was published on February 25 with the byline: “Yasmin Alibhai Brown.”

A supporting image within the article body

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be fake. The Guardian did not publish the circulating headline.

The Screenshot of The Guardian Article Is Fabricated

Misbar’s team checked The Guardian’s website and could not find the alleged article.

A Google advanced search using the keywords “Britain,” “Tomato Famine,” and “racist,”did not lead to any results.

Archived versions of the Guardian website on the Wayback Machine also did not feature the alleged headline.

We also reviewed the Guardian articles signed by Yasmin Alibhai Brown and found that her last contribution to the media outlet dates back to November 2016. The author did not publish any report on the Guardian wall recently.

The U.K. Faces Vegetable Shortages

On February 25, The Guardian reported on shortages of several fresh fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and cucumbers, in Britain due to poor weather reducing the harvest in Europe and North Africa.

“Brexit rules and lower supplies from U.K. and Dutch producers were hit by the jump in energy bills to heat glasshouses,” mentioned the report.

The National Farmers’ Union deputy president, Tom Bradshaw, told the outlet that reliance on imports had left the U.K. exposed to shock weather events. He added that the U.K. had hit a tipping point and needed to take command of the food we produce amid volatility caused by the war in Europe and the climate crisis. However, The Guardian did not publish the circulating headline.