Fake screenshot shared as opinion piece in The Guardian about Gaza and Pride parade

What's the claim?

Social media users have been sharing a screenshot claiming it is the headline of an opinion piece published by The Guardian. They claim that British columnist Owen Jones has written about the idea of a Pride parade in Gaza. The alleged screenshot displays the byline and photo of Jones along with the headline, "Diversity and inclusion is in the heart of all Palestinians. Gaza will one day host the world's largest Pride parade," dated Sunday, June 2, 2024.

Screenshots of the fake headline. (Source: X / Facebook / Modified by Logically Facts).

Numerous similar claims can be found on X (previously Twitter) and Facebook. One of the X posts alone had 138,100 views at the time of writing. Archives of these posts can be seen here, here, and here.

However, we found that the screenshot attributed to The Guardian is fake. 

What are the facts?

We searched using relevant keywords and could not find any such article written by Jones for The Guardian. No opinion piece or report exists on The Guardian's website with the claimed headline in the viral photo on June 2, 2024, or before.

We then checked all the social media accounts of The Guardian and could not find any such report. 

We then checked Jones's profile on The Guardian. We came across a recent piece for the paper published on June 2, 2024, the date it was claimed the Gaza article was published. It is titled "Bohemian Bristol Central could be the one contest Labour loses on election night. Here's why," and Jones discusses the election scenario in Bristol Central between Labour and the Greens. There is no sign of the supposed Gaza article on this page.

Additionally, Jones had posted the link (archived here) to the same article on his X account on June 2, 2024. 

Screenshot of an article written by Owen Jones in The Guardian on the date in question (Source: The Guardian/Modified by Logically Facts).

While scrolling through his social media, we found a post on his X profile referring (archived here) to the viral photo in question, where he criticized people for sharing it.  

Logically Facts also contacted The Guardian for comment on the viral screenshot and was told that it was fake. We have also contacted Jones, and this story will be updated if and when we receive a response.

What discrepancies did we spot?

We also observed several differences between the viral photo and opinion pieces as they appear in The Guardian. 

The photo of Jones on The Guardian's website shows him facing to the left, in contrast to the alleged screenshot, which shows him facing to the right. The viral photo also shows different categories in the Opinion section to the actual website.

Additionally, the actual website displays the time of the publication in British Summer Time (BST), while the viral photo shows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). 

Comparison between the purported article and the actual The Guardian website (Mobile view) (Source: X/The Guardian/Modified by Logically Facts).

Logically Facts has previously fact-checked such fabricated screenshots using the same template seen here, masquerading as pieces published by The Guardian. They can be read here, here, here, and here. 

Who is Owen Jones?

Owen Jones is a British columnist and commentator. He currently writes a column for The Guardian and has contributed to The Independent, New Statesman, Tribune, and The National.  

Jones writes about the situation in Gaza and is often asked about his sexual orientation and pro-Palestine stance. He has posted on X (archived here) why he believes LGBTQ+ people and their allies should stand with the Palestinian people.

The verdict

The social media posts claiming that The Guardian published an opinion piece by British columnist Owen Jones on Gaza hosting a major pride parade one day are fabricated. No such opinion piece was written by Jones or published by The Guardian in June 2024 or at any time in the past.