When the pandemic hit in 2020, it suddenly seemed like conspiracy theories were everywhere.

Did Bill Gates put a microchip in the vaccine? Is the World Economic Forum trying to take over the world? Was the pandemic orchestrated by a secret cabal of elites?

A recent poll found that 1 in 4 Canadians believe in online conspiracy theories. Which means that we’re no longer just living in different information bubbles. We’re living in different realities.

On this season of Screen Time, Taylor Owen and Supriya Dwivedi dive into the murky world of online conspiracy theories and misinformation. They’ll expose the bad actors trying to distort the truth for personal gain, and speak to the Canadians occupying these alternate realities to try and understand how they got there – and how we might bring them back.

Hosts:

Taylor Owen is the Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University, and is one of the country’s foremost experts on mis and disinformation.

Supriya Dwivedi spent years trying to fact check misinformation as a talk radio host. She’s now a political commentator, and the Director of Policy and Engagement for the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University.