Got banned from a book club subreddit for calling out a fake story

So I'm in this subreddit for a specific book club discussion, right? Someone posted this wild story about how their neighbor confronted them over reading a controversial book, and it got thousands of upvotes and awards. I've been a nurse for 6 years and I've worked night shifts in ERs, and some details in their story just didn't add up - like claiming a hospital security guard escorted them out over a book, which literally never happens. I called it out politely, just said 'hey that doesn't match my experience working in healthcare, are you sure this happened?' The mods banned me within an hour for 'promoting misinformation' even though I was just asking for proof. The kicker? Two days later someone fact-checked the whole thing and proved it was a creative writing exercise, but my ban never got lifted. Has anyone else noticed how some mods will protect fake stories just because they fit a certain narrative?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ruby10d ago

Exactly what happened to me in a parenting sub. Someone posted this super dramatic story about their kid getting bullied and the school doing nothing, but they kept adding more and more unrealistic details like the principal literally laughing in their face. I just asked if they had documented the incidents with the school because that seemed like a weird reaction. Got muted and banned for "victim blaming" even though I was just trying to help them build a case. A week later the same account posted in a writing sub asking for feedback on their short story. Mods still never reversed the ban when I pointed it out. Some mod teams just want validation not truth.

harperwright10d ago

Call it out and they get defensive every time. Did the mods ever reply to your proof or just ignore it?