The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in 2023 paid employees up to $1,000 per article to produce fake “news” stories published by Canadian newsrooms. The CRA in total paid more than a quarter million to distribute fake “news” articles written by employees. Two daily newspapers were among the newsrooms that published CRA’s handout stories as legitimate items, records disclosed by Blacklock’s Reporter show. “The purpose of these articles was to inform Canadians,” CRA wrote in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Senate. Opposition Leader in the Senate Donald Plett in his request for Inquiry asked, “How much did the Government of Canada pay to publish news written by government employees?” Records showed CRA paid as much as $1,000 apiece to distribute the made-up news stories, which meet the federal definition of fake news. The agency said articles were to “help amplify its messaging in order to reach Canadians that it would not normally have access to through its own channels.”No examples of stories written by CRA agents were provided.The two dailies identified as publishers of ghostwritten “news” were the Lethbridge Herald and the Hamilton Spectator. The fake stories were distributed through News Canada Inc., a Toronto broker that distributes ready-to-use content to editors. The CRA paid News Canada $233,457 over the course of last year. Blacklock’s earlier reported stories that come up in a search were attributed to News Canada without identifying the government’s authorship.The Department of Canadian Heritage in a 2017 memorandum described fake news as “state-sponsored” content.“Creators of fake news are non-traditional sources, i.e. not journalists, individuals on social media, individuals not preoccupied with facts,” said the Access To Information memo. “Characteristics of fake news” included content that authors are “quick to create and share, and are not constrained by research or fact-checking.”“The issue is complex and there is not likely one single, easy solution. There are limitations to actions that governments can take, e.g. cannot decide what is fake news.”“Access to accurate information from diverse perspectives underpins our democratic institutions.”The Inquiry Of Ministry said ghostwritten CRA articles were published by numerous weeklies and periodicals. Client publishers included Alberta Business Review, the Essex Free Press, Ethnic Food & Drink, Lac Ste. Anne Bulletin, Lambton Standard and Leamington Southpoint Sun.Agency handouts were also published by The Mountaineer, Niagara Falls Review, North Grenville Times, Okanagan Weekend, Penticton Herald, Temiskaming Speaker, Weekly Bean, Welland Tribune, Whitecourt Press and Winkler-Morden Voice.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in 2023 paid employees up to $1,000 per article to produce fake “news” stories published by Canadian newsrooms. The CRA in total paid more than a quarter million to distribute fake “news” articles written by employees. Two daily newspapers were among the newsrooms that published CRA’s handout stories as legitimate items, records disclosed by Blacklock’s Reporter show. “The purpose of these articles was to inform Canadians,” CRA wrote in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Senate. Opposition Leader in the Senate Donald Plett in his request for Inquiry asked, “How much did the Government of Canada pay to publish news written by government employees?” Records showed CRA paid as much as $1,000 apiece to distribute the made-up news stories, which meet the federal definition of fake news. The agency said articles were to “help amplify its messaging in order to reach Canadians that it would not normally have access to through its own channels.”No examples of stories written by CRA agents were provided.The two dailies identified as publishers of ghostwritten “news” were the Lethbridge Herald and the Hamilton Spectator. The fake stories were distributed through News Canada Inc., a Toronto broker that distributes ready-to-use content to editors. The CRA paid News Canada $233,457 over the course of last year. Blacklock’s earlier reported stories that come up in a search were attributed to News Canada without identifying the government’s authorship.The Department of Canadian Heritage in a 2017 memorandum described fake news as “state-sponsored” content.“Creators of fake news are non-traditional sources, i.e. not journalists, individuals on social media, individuals not preoccupied with facts,” said the Access To Information memo. “Characteristics of fake news” included content that authors are “quick to create and share, and are not constrained by research or fact-checking.”“The issue is complex and there is not likely one single, easy solution. There are limitations to actions that governments can take, e.g. cannot decide what is fake news.”“Access to accurate information from diverse perspectives underpins our democratic institutions.”The Inquiry Of Ministry said ghostwritten CRA articles were published by numerous weeklies and periodicals. Client publishers included Alberta Business Review, the Essex Free Press, Ethnic Food & Drink, Lac Ste. Anne Bulletin, Lambton Standard and Leamington Southpoint Sun.Agency handouts were also published by The Mountaineer, Niagara Falls Review, North Grenville Times, Okanagan Weekend, Penticton Herald, Temiskaming Speaker, Weekly Bean, Welland Tribune, Whitecourt Press and Winkler-Morden Voice.
