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Today there is more content than ever but sifting truth from fact is getting much harder. Lies and misinformation spread faster than corrections. Extremists are organizing in new ways, finding and radicalizing recruits in shady online communities. And the business model that once sustained journalism has largely collapsed, leaving a vacuum that bad actors are happy to fill.
The Tyee has long been covering this terrain. This spring, we're bringing that reporting out of the newsroom and into a public conversation. And it’s thanks to our reader supporters who chipped in to support The Tyee’s Reality Check project exposing and explaining the rise of digital disinformation.
On Thursday, May 21, join us for Reality Check LIVE at the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at the Simon Fraser University Goldcorp Centre for the Arts in Vancouver. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; the event runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Get your ticket here.
We’ll hear live music from Vancouver artist Francis Baptiste. And a keynote address from investigative journalist Rachel Gilmore, followed by an onstage conversation with Jen St. Denis, Tyee senior editor and reporter, and Mo Amir, founder and host of This Is Vancolour — all hosted by Harrison Mooney, associate editor at The Tyee. Expect candour, context and a discussion that doesn't flinch from uncomfortable realities.
They’ll be discussing: How does misinformation spread, and how do journalists verify what's true? What does it actually take to report on extremism? And what role can independent media play in a fractured information landscape?
After the main event, the conversation continues at a post-talk reception at Save On Meats (43 W. Hastings). Your ticket gets you in, with light refreshments and a cash bar.
The reporting behind the conversation
Earlier this year, The Tyee and Rachel Gilmore published an investigation exposing a white nationalist fight club that had infiltrated a Montreal gym. In the days following publication, two members of the group confronted and harassed Gilmore, jeopardizing her personal safety.
The incident drew condemnation from press freedom organizations internationally and in Canada.
That story is one example of the kind of accountability journalism The Tyee exists to do: careful, sourced and willing to go where other outlets won't.
Tyee contributor Gilmore is an award-winning journalist with deep experience in federal politics, human rights, disinformation and extremism. She is also one of the few Canadian journalists building a serious presence in short-form video, bringing this kind of reporting to audiences who live on TikTok and Instagram rather than newspaper front pages.
The information environment those audiences are navigating is increasingly treacherous. Canada, in Gilmore's assessment, is a tinderbox for far-right extremism. Understanding that requires journalism that is both deeply reported and widely accessible.
Our partners
Reality Check LIVE is presented with the support of Simon Fraser University, the Canadian Media Guild, Inform Interiors and A Better Life Foundation.
Get your tickets
Tickets are available here.
Tyee Builders: Check your inbox! You should have already received an email with a discount code for a reduced ticket price (if you didn’t, drop us a line at builders[at]thetyee.ca). It's our way of saying thank you for making this journalism possible. Not a Builder yet? You can join here.
We hope to see you on May 21. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
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