Another website is out, this one called DisinfoWatch. It’s a rather ironic name, considering who funds it, and that its agenda is to parrot the Government narrative,
1. The Media Is Not Loyal To The Public
Truth is essential in society, but the situation in Canada is worse than people imagine. In Canada (and elsewhere), the mainstream media, periodicals, and fact-checkers are subsidized, though they deny it. Post Media controls most outlets in Canada, and many “independents” have ties to Koch/Atlas. Real investigative journalism is needed, and some pointers are provided.
2. Buying Off Entire Canadian Media
(a) Subsidization Programs Available For Media Outlets (QCJO)
(b) Political Operatives Behind Many “Fact-Checking” Groups
(c) Taxpayer Subsidies To Combat CV “Misinformation”
(d) Postmedia Periodicals Getting Covid Subsidies
(e) Aberdeen Publishing (BC, AB) Getting Grants To Operate
(f) Other Periodicals Receiving Subsidies
(g) Still More Media Subsidies Taxpayers Are Supporting
(h) Media Outlets, Banks, Credit Unions, All Getting CEWS
3. DisinfoWatch Is Brand New Group
MONITOR
We identify and track mis/disinformation narratives and trends emerging from both domestic and foreign sources, through a global network of partners
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RESEARCH
When we detect potential Covid related mis/disinformation we analyze content, its sources and seek to debunk wherever possible. Examples are then added to our database
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LITERACY
Promoting digital literacy with the latest learning resources to foster greater awareness of mis/disinformation and promote skills such as source, claim and fact checking.
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DEFEND
By exposing and debunking mis/disinformation on an ongoing basis and producing regular DisinfoDigests, DisinoWatch builds resilience against it – regardless of source or intent.
DisinfoWatch’s Twitter account started in September 2020. At the time of writing this, there are only 65 tweets listed. This was clearly set up specifically for this “pandemic”. There are also several examples cited of their work making its way into mainstream outlets. The site also contains a database of disinformation and debunked claims to go through.
4. Who Is Behind DisinfoWatch’s Media Efforts?
DisinfoWatch.org is the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s new COVID-19 and foreign disinformation monitoring and debunking platform. http://macdonaldlaurier.ca
That quote is from the Twitter profile. On the website, near the bottom, 2 organizations are listed, and it’s implied that they are behind everything.
- Journalists For Human Rights
- MacDonald-Laurier Institute
Both entities will be addressed in the following sections. Things are not quite what they seem to be, as the rabbit hole goes much deeper.
5. MacDonald-Laurier Part Of Atlas Network
- Alberta Institute
- Canadian Constitution Foundation
- Canadian Taxpayers Federation
- Canadians For Democracy And Transparency
- Fraser Institute
- Frontier Center For Public Policy
- Institute For Liberal Studies
- Justice Center For Constitutional Freedoms
- MacDonald-Laurier Institute For Public Policy
- Manning Center
- Montreal Economic Institute
- World Taxpayers Federation
Atlas’ partners can be searched instantly online. When this last piece was written, Atlas Network had 12 Canadian partners. A few changes have been made, and now there are currently 11.
- Alberta Institute
- Canadian Constitution Foundation
- Canadian Taxpayers Federation
- Canadians For Democracy And Transparency
- Fraser Institute
- Frontier Center For Public Policy
- Institute For Liberal Studies
- MacDonald-Laurier Institute For Public Policy
- Manning Center
- Montreal Economic Institute
- Second Street
Both the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms and the World Taxpayers Federation are no longer listed as partners. However, the organization we are mostly interested in is the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
Interesting aside, the JCCF, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, is responsible for filing several court actions against Provincial Governments.
Also, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney used to be the President of the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, which is also part of Atlas.
It’s not much of a secret that Atlas Network is a group of “conservative” and “libertarian” think tanks, and gets a substantial part of its funding from the Koch Brothers.
6. Staff Of MacDonald-Laurier Institute
Brett Byers is the Communications and Digital Media Manager for MLI. He also spent 2 1/2 years an an e-Communications Officer for the Trudeau Government.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-byers-lane-63872710a/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-carrigan-69045513/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianleecrowley/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-habchi-02853a195/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-watson-33740221/
Full list is available here.
7. Journalists For Human Rights (JHR) Donations
The project Mobilizing Media to Fight COVID-19, with a $1,479,857 contribution from Global Affairs Canada, is a COVID-19 crisis response project to train journalists: a) to ensure that COVID-19 reporting is scientifically accurate and technically sound and, thereby encouraging safer behaviours; and b) to work with citizens’ groups to identify mis/disinformation, particularly on social media, and to debunk harmful myths surrounding COVID-19. The training will particularly focus on ensuring that information is being provided to women and marginalized communities, and that their needs and rights to adequate services are included in media coverage. Subject to the successful conclusion of discussions for the financial instrument, the project implementation partner, Journalists for HumanRights (JHR), will work in the following 12 African and Middle Eastern countries: Gambia, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Yemen.
Journalists for Human Rights has received a few large grants from taxpayers, including nearly $1.5 million in 2020 as a form of “Covid relief”. Perhaps this is cynical, but it may explain their mission to combat misinformation.
8. Peter Donolo: JHR, Longtime LPC Operative
Peter Donolo is a longtime Liberal operative. He was Chretien’s Communications Director, he worked in the Office of the Official Opposition for Michael Ignatieff, and other political roles. Ignatieff, incidently, is now a Vice-President of Soros’ Open Society Group.
Donolo is also now a Board Member at CIVIX and Journalists for Human Rights. He has ties to the Liberals, who are also funding various initiatives to counter misinformation.
9. Chad Rogers, Crestview Strategy
Chad Rogers not only works for JHR, but he’s a Co-Founder of the lobbying firm, Crestview Strategy. Another Co-Founder is Rob Silver, husband of Katie Telford, the Chief of Staff for Justin Trudeau. Incidently, Crestview was also involved in lobbying Canadian officials for money is relation to vaccines.
Looking through some of the other members, such as Michael Cooke and Karen Restoule, it’s clear the the Journalists for Human Rights actually are journalists with connections to the mainstream media.
10. JHS Agenda: Combatting Misinformation
Canadians need quality, trustworthy coverage for evidence-based public debate about issues that matter, to hold duty bearers accountable and to mobilize knowledge toward solutions to complex problems. JHR’s project, “Fighting Disinformation through Strengthened Media and Citizen Preparedness in Canada” trains journalists on best practices of combating disinformation and exposing deliberate manipulation of public opinion on social media, while concurrently engaging people in Canada on digital and news skills literacy to enhance citizen preparedness against online manipulation and misinformation.
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This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.
Canadians need reliable, quality coverage to hold factual debates on important issues, empower bondholders, and mobilize knowledge to find solutions to complex problems. JDH’s project, “Fighting Disinformation Through Media Strengthening and Preparing Citizens in Canada,” trains journalists in best practices to combat misinformation and expose the deliberate manipulation of public opinion on social media, while simultaneously engaging the Canadian public on digital literacy and news to build resilience against online manipulation and misinformation.
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This project was made possible in part by the Government of Canada.
Straight from the source. This project was made possible — namely, funded — by the Canadian Government. The Journalists for Human Rights are less about journalism, and more about perpetuating the official narratives. While fact-checking stories is important, fact-checking the fact-checkers needs to be done as well.
These are the groups behind DisinfoWatch:
(a) Journalists for Human Rights
(b) MacDonald-Laurier Institute
11. No Wonder Government Measures Are Legal
DisinfoWatch has released many articles “debunking” so-called conspiracy theories, and trying to debunk claims that this is all about population control, and forcibly altering society. In fact, virtually all exposes that reveal Government deception are labelled hoaxes. Although, one has to wonder how many theories are put out by groups like DisinfoWatch, as an effort to make all claims seem ridiculous.