No, CNN did not call Philippines president Marcos Jr. 'cocaine-addicted'

What's the claim?

Facebook users have shared a photo of what appears to be a screenshot of a CNN news segment featuring Anderson Cooper, a news anchor for the network and the host of the show Anderson Cooper 360°. 

The chyron at the bottom of the screen appears to say, "Philippines faces unique challenge with cocaine-addicted president." Archive links for these posts are here and here.  

Screenshot of Facebook post sharing a fabricated image of a CNN show. (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has faced allegations of drug use from political rivals, including former president Rodrigo Duterte. Earlier this year, a deepfake video of him taking drugs was also released by Duterte supporters. 

Our investigation found that CNN had not published a news report or done a news segment with the chyron seen in the viral image. The photo used in the claim is the thumbnail of an Anderson Cooper show on an unrelated topic, and the chyron has been digitally added.

What we found

A Google search for CNN videos showed us that the network had not published any such report.

Further, a reverse image search led us to a CNN video segment titled "Anderson Cooper guesses NFL teams based on their logos" uploaded on their website on January 12, 2024. The screenshot used in the viral image appears to be the thumbnail of this particular video segment.

A comparison of the photo in the claim with a thumbnail used by CNN for a video segment. (Source: Facebook/CNN/Modified by Logically Facts) 

We reviewed the more than three-minute-long video uploaded by CNN but did not find any mention of Marcos or his alleged drug use. It appears to be an informal segment about the 2024 NFL Playoffs. 

We also noted that the format of the image used in the posts is inconsistent with genuine videos published by CNN. In the NFL news report and other recent news reports by CNN, the CNN logo is on the bottom right of the video; the logo itself has a white background and red font. However, the viral images carry the CNN logo with white font and red background on the top left-hand corner of the screen. 

A comparison of the elements in the screenshot with the elements of the actual video report show discrepancies such as the placement of the logo and the style and font of the chyron itself. (Source: Facebook/CNN/Modified by Logically Facts)

The design and font of the chyron in the viral image is also different as compared to those seen in CNN's own videos.

A comparison of the chyrons used by CNN on the show and the chyron used in the viral image show that the one in the viral claim has used a different design. (Source: CNN/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

Clearly, the image attached to the posts showing a supposed CNN report on Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s alleged drug use has been digitally altered.

Emily Kuhn, the senior Vice President of communications at CNN also confirmed that the photo was fake. "The image is fabricated and not something we reported", she says.

The verdict

The screenshot of the show attached with these claims is a fabricated image. This image is fake.