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Help Us Investigate

Do You Know Someone Who Has Been Transformed By Online Conspiracies? We Want To Talk To You.

We’re investigating the impact of online conspiracies on Canadians so we can better understand the root causes fuelling them

Do you have a friend or family member who has changed in dramatic ways as a result of the conspiratorial content they’re consuming online?

The violent insurrection at the US Capitol last week that sought to overturn the results of a democratic election has turned the public spotlight back onto the issues of online conspiracies and right-wing extremism.

A number of highly visible participants in the insurrection have been linked to conspiratorial online communities like QAnon.

There has already been a sharp rise in conspiracies linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and things like public health restrictions, vaccines and 5G cell phone towers —  QAnon groups have also reportedly grown by 500% during the pandemic.

We want to better understand the root causes that lead some Canadians astray,  that’s we want to hear your first-hand stories:

  • When did you first notice your friend or family member had become obsessed with online conspiracies?
  • Where do they get their information from and what kinds of media do they typically consume?
  • What were they like before they changed? How has their relationships with friends and family changed?

We respect your privacy

We’re investigating the impact of online conspiracies on Canadian families and their communities — we understand this could be a very sensitive topic for you or someone you care about.

Any information you share with us will be held in confidence and used for journalistic purposes only. We will not publish your name or share any information that you share with us with anyone, unless we’ve received your clear permission to do so. In addition to collecting stories, we’re asking for your name and contact information so a member of our team can follow-up and verify any details you provide us. Your name will not be added to any marketing lists and we will not share any identifiable information about you with any third party whatsoever. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Please fill out this form. We’d like to hear from you.

    Your name: *

     

    Your city:*

     

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    Who are you contacting us about:*


     

    Describe your friend or family member's online activities and why they concern you: *

     

    Where do they get their information from? What kinds of media do they consume? *

     

    When did you first notice something was wrong? What drew them to these online activities? Have they changed in ways that worry you? *

     

    Is it okay for us to contact you to follow-up about your story? *

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    What's the best way for us to get in touch with you to follow-up? *

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    PressProgress is an award-winning non-profit news organization focused on uncovering and unpacking the news through original investigative and explanatory journalism.

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