Yesterday, we published a story fact checking the false claims of an anti-mask group. Since then, I have been bombarded with hate email, often demanding to do things to myself which, strictly speaking, are not anatomically possible. (Thread, and warning for offensive language)
Unsurprisingly, most of these messages accuse the paper of being part of an international plot to destroy freedom through the use of masks at the grocery store during a pandemic. They will also insist they are not conspiracy theories, but also insist the "pandemic" is not real.
These non-conspiracy theories insist that COVID-19 is fake, or the pandemic itself was created by the new world Illuminati types.
Over at the "Hugs over masks" Niagara Facebook page, this is a common level of response.
And then there is this guy, who straight-up wrote in (again, warning for offensive language) to tell our staff they should kill themselves.
All part of covering the pandemic in the era of social media. #partylikeajournalist
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So metadata can be a very valuable tool for investigative reporting, because it can show who wrote critical documents and when, and sometimes that document's history. 🧵
In an age of misinformation and AI fakery, being able to dig into the digit finger prints left behind in the creation of digital files is something we need to be versed in. It can A) prevent misinformation from being uncritically reported and b) open doors to new investigations.
Niagara readers may recall that the region's biggest political scandal, #AlltheChairsMen, effectively started because metadata in leaked documents proved political actors were involved in the rigging of the CAO hiring process.
This is a significant story for those watching white nationalist developments in Canada 🧵:
2 Ontario men arrested on charges linked to neo-Nazi terrorist movement cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
The men arrested on terrorism charges by the RCMP are part of the "Active Club Canada" network, which is also part of the "White Lives Matters" white nationalist network on Telegram.
These networks have "real world" groups, including the ones we investigated at @TheSpec
@TheSpec In May, we published our investigation into the branch of those networks that exist in Hamilton, under the nation of "Nationalist 13."
Hamilton’s neo-Nazis claim to be part of the ‘fastest growing nationalist community in Canada’ via @thespecthespec.com/news/hamilton-…
I am a graduate of @BishopsU and what the government of Quebec is doing is overtly threatening that university's existence, which would deprive so many Canadians of an excellent education.
The idea, as Legault claims, that students from the rest of Canada are a "threat" to the French language or culture in Quebec is insane, dangerous and utterly untrue. @BishopsU and its students is a net contributor to Quebec culture, not a threat to it!
One of the grand benefits of going to @BishopsU from Alberta (other than a top-flight education) was to experience the culture, meet students from all over Canada and the world, and learn about this regionally diverse country. Legault appears to want to snuff that out.
Please read this post by @sabaeitizaz. Journalists are facing increasing levels of threats, and this gives you an idea of what reporters face on a shockingly regular basis. The attempt is to threaten journalists into silence, so all you are left with are insane social media feeds
And as world events become chaotic and deeply troubling, those threats have become even more vitriolic and vivid. Female and BIPOC reporters face a particular kind of threats the rest of us often do not, making the entire situation even more awful.
I covered this in detail last year, and the threat Saba noted above is in the same vein, albeit even more vivid and specific:
Death threats. Racist taunts. Vows of violence. Inside the increasingly personal attacks targeting Canadian female journalists thestar.com/news/investiga…
A follow-up to my thread yesterday, since the new COVID vaccine was approved today. A Niagara PPC account posted this in response to my pointing out that "rest and soup" was never, and is not, an effective way to combat viruses, as claimed by some freedom convoy groups:
Let's put aside that my threat was about the ludicrous claim that "rest and soup" used to be effective until "communism" came along, and look at what this PPC account is claiming about the COVID vaccines.
First the COVID vaccines are not "experimental." The experiments were completed before the vaccines were approved. This has been a talking point in anti-vax circles almost from the start, that these vaccines were just a jimcrack shot in the dark with no data or evidence.
This video was uploaded to Twitter tonight by Rob Primo, one of the louder "freedom convoy" protesters in Niagara, harassing my long-time colleague @BobTym, a fantastic photojournalist who has served the community for decades.
There is no excuse for harassing journalists.🧵
In this video, Primo screams at Bob, calling him a liar and a "piece of shit.," in a barrage of vulgar insults.
The truth is Bob Tymczyszyn is one of the best photojournalists in the country, who does an exemplary job for this community and is a pillar of the @StCatStandard
Not only is he a great photographer, but a kind and patient man and a consummate professional, as you can see in this video. A person is screaming at him, calling him names, lying about him and shoving a finger in his face, and Bob stayed cool, polite and professional.