True Stories
True Stories is an annual Canadian event series organized by the West End Phoenix, a community newspaper based in Toronto, Ontario, on the subjects of misinformation, disinformation and fake news. The first event took place in June 2024, and the second in April 2025.
2024
The first annual event, titled True Stories, a live series at WEP Central on disinformation, misinformation and fake news, took place June 6-8, 2024, at WEP Central, the physical event venue run by the West End Phoenix, and virtually.[1]
Event sponsors included Coma Edits, Gladstone House, Psiphon and Wâska Media.[1:1]
Agenda and participants
Participants are organized below by day and as presented in the event agenda.[1:2]
Day One
| Name | Affiliation | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Arif Virani | Department of Justice Canada | - |
| Olivia Bowden | Writer | - |
Day Two
| Name | Affiliation | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Visser | VICE News | - |
| Mack Lamoureux | VICE News | - |
Day Three
| Name | Affiliation | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Gabby Lim | Citizen Lab | The nature of disinformation from a variety of perspectives and challenges |
| Vass Bednar | McMaster University Faculty of Social Sciences | The nature of disinformation from a variety of perspectives and challenges |
| Craig Silverman | ProPublica | Navigating the Information Environment and Debunking Disinformation |
| Chloe Brown | - | Navigating the Information Environment and Debunking Disinformation |
2025
The second annual event, titled TRUE STORIES : News, disinformation + life in an unreal age, took place April 24-26, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario at the Paradise Theatre.[2][3]
Event sponsors included the Metcalf Foundation, Paradise Theatre, Toronto Star, and Weber Shandwick.[2:1]
Agenda and participants
Participants are organized below by day and as presented in the event agenda.[2:2]
Day One
| Name | Affiliation | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce Arthur | Toronto Star | Politics in an unreal time |
| Alex Boyd | Toronto Star | Politics in an unreal time |
| Brian Goldman | White Coat, Black Art | Disinformation and medicine |
| Daysha Loppie | Writer | Disinformation and medicine |
| Niko Stratis | - | Host |
| Paul Vermeersch | - | Poetry |
| Lee Rose | Ace of Wands | Music |
| Jamison Steeve | Metcalf Foundation | Opening Address |
Day Two
| Name | Affiliation | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Abraha | Writer | Our fractured information ecosystem |
| Supriya Dwivedi | Former senior advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau | Our fractured information ecosystem |
Day Three
| Name | Affiliation | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Gabby Lim | Citizen Lab | New tech and the rise of disinformation |
| Natasha Goel | Policy, Elections, and Representation Lab (PEARL), Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO) | New tech and the rise of disinformation |
True Stories, a live series at WEP Central on disinformation, misinformation and fake news. (2024). West End Phoenix. https://web.archive.org/web/20250421184840/https://www.westendphoenix.com/events/2024/true-stories ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
TRUE STORIES : News, disinformation + life in an unreal age. (2025). West End Phoenix. https://web.archive.org/web/20250421180946/https://www.westendphoenix.com/events/2025/true-stories ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
West End Phoenix Presents TRUE STORIES : News, disinformation + life in an unreal age. (2025). Paradise Theatre. http://archive.vn/2025.04.21-191311/https://paradiseonbloor.com/special_events/west-end-phoenix-presents-true-stories-news-disinformation-life-in-an-unreal-age/ ↩︎