New season of Screen Time podcast uncovers the battle for reality in the online conspiracy world

Toronto, Ontario, Jan. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One in four Canadians believes in online conspiracy theories, according to a recent poll*. Premiering today everywhere podcasts are available (Spotify, Apple, Google), the new season of TVO Today's Screen Time podcast spotlights bad actors who try to distort the truth for personal gain, and the Canadians lured in by these alternate realities.

"These new episodes are going to help us all make sense of the recent seismic shifts in the online world, and the ways it continues to spill over into real life," says John Ferri, VP of Programming and Content at TVO. "Season two of Screen Time untangles the gordian knot of how we got here through insightful interviews and well-researched storytelling."

"Screen Time continues to provide a vital space for conversations about the impact of the digital landscape we all engage with everyday," says Stuart Coxe, the series executive producer and president of Antica Productions. "By tackling misinformation, one of the most schismatic issues affecting families, friendships, and communities today through a uniquely Canadian angle, Taylor and Supriya have created another season of essential listening."

Co-produced with Antica Productions, hosts Taylor Owen and Supriya Dwivedi talk to Canadians impacted by conspiracy theories, whether it's Bill Gates sneaking a microchip into COVID-19 vaccines or the World Economic Forum's supposed quest for world domination. This season of Screen Time strikes out on an exciting new journey into the chasms of the Internet.

• Episode 1: "Freedom Baby, Freedom" (listen now) | The pandemic arrived in 2020 with a wave of outlandish conspiracy theories. Where did these ideas come from, and why did so many people in Canada and around the world believe in them?
• Episode 2: "The Snake Oil Salesmen" | Before a COVID-19 vaccine had even been announced, prominent anti-vaxxers were rallying against it. A doctor who lost his medical license for spreading COVID misinformation tells his side of the story.
• Episode 3: "Sharia Creep" | After Alexandre Bisonette was arrested for murdering five Muslim men in cold blood, investigators discovered the far-right rabbit holes in his internet history. Explore how online misinformation can lead to bloodshed.
• Episode 4: "From Russia with Love" | The Freedom Convoy's 2022 protest raises questions about potential Russian involvement. Why did Russia's state-controlled media send correspondents? Why did Convoy messaging groups start sharing Kremlin press releases?
• Episode 5: "The Top of the Pyramid" | A prominent TikTok user is convinced that the world is controlled by an evil cabal of pedophiles. How does someone come to believe in such extreme ideas? What happens when these views resonate with a large following?
• Episode 6: "The Battle for Reality" | Misinformation is tearing Canada apart. Some experts think we're at a breaking point. Is it possible to pull the country back from the brink, or have we already lost the battle for reality? 

Listen to the first episode of Screen Time's new season everywhere you get podcasts. New episodes arrive on Wednesdays. A podcast trailer is available here.

Background:

• Season one press release: "New TVO podcast Screen Time tackles big questions about kids and digital devices."
• Listen to season one episodes on TVO Today.
• The Toronto Star: "?Screen Time': New TVO podcast guides us on technological revolution and children."

* Source: "One quarter of Canadians believe online conspiracy theories, expert tells MPs" | CBC News

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ABOUT TVO MEDIA EDUCATION GROUP
TVO Media Education Group inspires learning that changes lives and enriches communities. Founded in 1970, we are a globally recognized digital learning organization that engages Ontarians of all ages with inclusive experiences and diverse perspectives. Through video, audio, games, courses, newsletters and articles, we're investing in the transformative potential of education for everyone. Funded primarily by the Province of Ontario, TVO is a registered charity supported by thousands of sponsors and donors. Visit TVO.me for more information. Stream TVO on your favourite device.

ABOUT ANTICA PRODUCTIONS
Antica Productions produces non-fiction podcasts, films, and television series that inform and inspire audiences around the world. Antica's recent podcast series include Love, Janessa (CBC, BBC), Exile (hosted by Mandy Patinkin in collaboration with the Leo Baeck Institute in New York), The No Good, Terribly Kind, Wonderful Lives and Tragic Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman (Lionsgate, CBC), and This Being Human (Aga Khan Museum/TVO). Antica also produces award-winning documentary films including The Nature of Things: War for the Woods (CBC), which premiered at Hot Docs 2023; Mellissa Fung's Captive (TVO), nominated for the 2022 Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary Film; and Tanya Talaga's Spirit to Soar (CBC), winner of the audience award at Hot Docs in 2021.

Media contact:
Genevie Grant, TVO | [email protected] 

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