Skip to main content

Profiles

DisinfoWatch

DisinfoWatch is a Canadian fact checking initiative hosted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI). It was founded and is led by senior MLI fellow Marcus Kolga.[1] Material published by DisinfoWatch has been cited in mainstream media reporting in "debunking" so-called "disinformation" about COVID-19, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and other contentious topics.[2]

History

DisinfoWatch was launched on September 24, 2020, described as a "foreign disinformation monitoring and debunking platform." The site is particularly focused on "a toxic mix of conspiracies, hoaxes, blatant fabrications and propaganda" surrounding the declared COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

Organization

DisinfoWatch is run by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and funded by the United States Department of State's Global Engagement Center, the Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa, and Journalists for Human Rights (JHR).[1:1]

Partners

DisinfoWatch's research partners include:[4]

  • Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
  • East StratCom Task Force
  • European Values Center for Security Policy
  • EUvsDisinfo
  • Global Engagement Center
  • Henry Jackson Society
  • Journalists for Human Rights (JHR)
  • Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
  • NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence
  • Stockholm Free World Forum
  • Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis (VIPA)

  1. Chase, S. (2021, February 28). Canada among targets of Twitter accounts shut down for links to Kremlin and proxies. The Globe and Mail. http://archive.today/2021.03.01-135213/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-among-targets-of-twitter-accounts-shut-down-for-links-to/ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Lempert, R. P. A. (2021, February 24). DisinfoWatch: Ties To Atlas Network, Connected To LPC Political Operatives. Canuck Law. http://archive.today/2021.02.24-115940/https://canucklaw.ca/disinfowatch-ties-to-atlas-network-connected-to-lpc-political-operatives/ ↩︎

  3. Byers, B. (2020, September 24). MLI Launches DisinfoWatch project led by Marcus Kolga. Macdonald-Laurier Institute. http://archive.today/2022.06.16-163635/https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/mli-launches-disinfowatch/ ↩︎

  4. About. DisinfoWatch. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from http://archive.today/2023.03.02-221007/https://disinfowatch.org/about/ ↩︎