Emma Monk
@monkemma.bsky.social
Molecular Biologist. Debunker of myths. Proud European. 🇩🇰🇪🇺🇬🇧 www.emmamonk.co.uk https://monkdebunks.substack.com www.linkedin.com/in/emma-monk-780686190 https://medium.com/@info_28174
Latest forensic debunk from the indefatigable @monkemma.bsky.social
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 4d ago🧵 Matt Goodwin demanded to be fact-checked live on air when he claimed the UK spent "£100 million PER YEAR on family planning and condoms in Pakistan". He then 'corrected' himself to £74.3 million, saying it was based on a "major news story from October 2025" He was, of course, still wrong... 1/30
Another banger by Emma who deserves your follow.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 4d ago🧵 Matt Goodwin demanded to be fact-checked live on air when he claimed the UK spent "£100 million PER YEAR on family planning and condoms in Pakistan". He then 'corrected' himself to £74.3 million, saying it was based on a "major news story from October 2025" He was, of course, still wrong... 1/30
🧵 Matt Goodwin demanded to be fact-checked live on air when he claimed the UK spent "£100 million PER YEAR on family planning and condoms in Pakistan". He then 'corrected' himself to £74.3 million, saying it was based on a "major news story from October 2025" He was, of course, still wrong... 1/30
Thanks again, to @monkemma.bsky.social: "You have to ask why the Guido Fawkes headline, the City AM headline and Matt Goodwin wanted you to focus on condoms for Pakistani men rather than the family planning and maternal health services for the rural women" monkdebunks.substack.com/p/no-we-dont...
No, we don't spend £74 million a year on branded condoms for Pakistan
Tracing the City AM headline, from Matt Goodwin's LBC claim and back through Guido Fawkes to a UK aid programme for women in rural Pakistan
monkdebunks.substack.com
Another exceptionally great post from Emma. We need more like Emma.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2w ago🧵 As front-page headlines go, this has to be one of the most misleading I've seen in a long time It's an out-and-out lie But notice the trick they use to get away with it...👀 *They're* not lying - they're just quoting someone else who is👍🏻 In this case, the leader of the opposition🙄 1/33
I’m sure our corner of BS will have read this, but of not , please do. Emma is a wonderful journalist .
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2w ago🧵 As front-page headlines go, this has to be one of the most misleading I've seen in a long time It's an out-and-out lie But notice the trick they use to get away with it...👀 *They're* not lying - they're just quoting someone else who is👍🏻 In this case, the leader of the opposition🙄 1/33
Everybody with a “genuine concern” about #immigration should read this, and then ask themselves where they get their information from. A1, top class work here 👏🏻
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2w ago🧵 As front-page headlines go, this has to be one of the most misleading I've seen in a long time It's an out-and-out lie But notice the trick they use to get away with it...👀 *They're* not lying - they're just quoting someone else who is👍🏻 In this case, the leader of the opposition🙄 1/33
If not already.... well worth a follow! This is a superb read!
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2w ago🧵 As front-page headlines go, this has to be one of the most misleading I've seen in a long time It's an out-and-out lie But notice the trick they use to get away with it...👀 *They're* not lying - they're just quoting someone else who is👍🏻 In this case, the leader of the opposition🙄 1/33
Even by the mighty standards of Emma's usual debunks, this is S tier The righteous fury burns thru and I'm here for it
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2w agoNext, she says that this is all about women's safety and talks about how scared women in this village are of having asylum seekers moving in nearby. As an aside, there has been a military base there for decades, as has a men's prison. We'll cover sexual abuse rates in the military shortly... 5/
Monk Dunks.... on a press that obscures the truth! Support her if you can
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2w agoMore details and all links are in my Substack: monkdebunks.substack.com/p/no-more-f... It's free to read and subscribe, but paid subscriptions and coffee (or tea in my case!) donations (buymeacoffee.com/MonkDebunks) can support me in doing these debunks!😊 33/33
🧵 As front-page headlines go, this has to be one of the most misleading I've seen in a long time It's an out-and-out lie But notice the trick they use to get away with it...👀 *They're* not lying - they're just quoting someone else who is👍🏻 In this case, the leader of the opposition🙄 1/33
A debunking worthy of @monkemma.bsky.social herself!
Sharon O'Dea@sharonodea.com · 3w agoA landlord making £100,000 a month says young people have “no excuse to be poor”. Excellent. I love financial advice. Gather round, children, let's examine how he himself stopped being poor. metro.co.uk/2026/09/20/i...
It’s not the biggest element of the story, but this aspect makes me particularly furious. Perhaps the cruelty in taking something not really in the public interest but clearly very personally important to Jason Arday, and suggesting it never happened, when basic research would show it did.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
Dear @andyburnham.bsky.social The UK Media Needs To Be Held Responsible For Jason’s Death. Print media needs to be broken up and brought under an independent governing body. This cannot happen again. M CC @mrjamesob.bsky.social @jemmaforte.bsky.social @marina-purkiss.bsky.social
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
Hi @vicderbyshire.bsky.social if Jason Arday and marathons ever come up, please see the evidence and references below. Better yet, invite @monkemma.bsky.social on and ask why she was able to find this information but most journalists have not
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
Outstanding research. It shouldn't be, it should be commonplace. But in this world we have, Monk is the best of the best
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
And other find from @monkemma.bsky.social: Arday blogged all those marathons in real time. I can’t remember the dozens of journalists who told me there’s no evidence he ran them. Are any of you big enough — or good enough journalists — to correct your error?
Excellent thread by the wonderful Emma Monk demonstrating the half arsedness of our press. They were far beyond negligent.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
I particularly appreciate this one Emma. In my opinion one of the most poignant and powerful pieces of your work I've seen.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
The British press: Lazy, twisted, bottom-dwelling scumbags. Thank you for honouring Jason Arday's memory Emma. 🙏🏼
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
First class reporting from Emma again!
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
@monkemma.bsky.social putting in the hard fact-checking graft lazy click-baiters can't be arsed to do, again. Only this time it would have made all the difference to a poor young man and his family if they had taken the time to do a little research and not gone after him. Thank you Emma, RIP Jason.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
Read this, if you’ve ever run a single marathon - and especially if you haven’t. Imagine running all those marathons and reading article after article saying you made it all up.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
I like many other people on this web site did scoff at some of the stories about what Arday claimed. But reading this makes me think that I, and lots of people in the media, ought to have a big slice of self reflection at parts of the story, and our reactions to it.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
I don't know why but I found the way the press stripped Prof. Arday's marathon achievement from him to be particularly cruel and spiteful. This thread is pretty heartbreaking.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 2mo agoOne of the first "outrageous" claims I saw as Jason Arday's media hounding unfolded was that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days! Wow! What a thing to claim! And the newspapers all suggested there was no evidence he actually did it. Well, they clearly didn't look very hard 🙄 🧵 1/26
![Text of an email (part 2)
Poor research on Jason Arday
----
'... I have not seen a single newspaper that claimed these marathons were a lie publish anything correcting those claims. Even yesterday, the BBC wrote: “Questions were also asked about Arday’s claims that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days, and 300 miles in three days for charity” in their piece about [Nathan] Cofnas resigning.'
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'We’ve covered three important media-literacy points in this piece:
'A respectable newspaper using an anonymous Reddit comment as the basis for a headline and story which they paid to push across social media, as part of an excessive campaign of articles focussed on one man, long after he resigned.
'A media narrative stripping a very real life-time achievement from a man, saying there was no evidence to back up his claim of running 30 marathons in 35 days, when that evidence was publicly available all along.
'A claim he never made being used as proof that he was a serial liar.'
----
'As I said at the start, I am only covering things I have evidence for. And I am not suggesting that he didn’t exaggerate, embellish or even lie about other things. He may well have done, but that did not warrant the coverage he received in the weeks leading up to his death.'
The fight for truth is on, as someone once said.
Ed Wilson](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:oqhejqhljmlu3pganizsztib/bafkreiep323einvfrjykjrc2xaim5gyier64u6z4nzlzuiunw3edzu2oje)