The BBC hires a 27-year-old TikTok star to tell you what’s true and what’s not true. What could go wrong?

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Tonight on the Ezra Levant Show, Ezra discusses the British Broadcasting Corporation's BBC Verify, its latest initiative to "combat disinformation and enhance audience trust."

Verify, derived from the Latin veritas, meaning truth, aims to become the truth's beacon amidst the murky waters of news media. Yet, with all journalism fundamentally tasked with seeking the truth, how does BBC Verify set itself apart?

BBC News has unveiled BBC Verify to address the growing threat of disinformation and build trust with audiences through transparency.

The BBC's Disinformation Correspondent Marianna Spring had more details on #BBCBreakfast https://t.co/00Nv9Z7Xlm pic.twitter.com/bZ23An2VhL

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) May 22, 2023

The new initiative, intriguingly, positions itself "above" the newsroom.

Critics challenge the audacity of this positioning, especially when its spearhead is a 27-year-old journalist, Marianna Spring, the Disinformation Correspondent for BBC News.

Does her comparative inexperience allow her to provide a level of truth-telling that seasoned reporters cannot?

Critics will also raise eyebrows at BBC Verify's proposed tactics, such as using Google maps to verify facts or creating fake Twitter accounts for undercover investigations.

BBC Verify's focus seems to lean towards investigating conspiracy theory movements, climate change skepticism, COVID hoaxes, and alternative media funding.

This narrow scope begs the question: Why not probe far-left movements, extremism, or terrorism? Does BBC Verify's selectivity betray a hidden bias?

Check out this post for a flavour, but a lot worse via message. No-one should have to experience this level of abuse. I am not in charge of every bit of the BBC you don’t like.

I investigate the real-world harm of what happens on social media. Disinformation, hate, algorithms. https://t.co/mtMl46TT7B

— Marianna Spring (@mariannaspring) May 24, 2023

The BBC is also under fire for not conducting self-inspection, giving the impression of a scapegoat crusade against independent journalism.

Critics point out that BBC Verify is silent about verifying the BBC’s own journalistic standards, focusing instead on external issues like the infamous Kremlin drone footage.

BBC Verify is an operation comprising around 60 journalists it says are armed with a wide array of investigative skills. They are tasked with fact-checking, verifying videos, countering disinformation, analyzing data, and explaining complex narratives. Yet, critics argue that these duties already fall under the general remit of journalism. 

As part of its transparency campaign, the BBC has set up a physical space in the London newsroom, from which the Verify team will share their findings.

However, skeptics question whether this transparent approach is truly novel or merely a façade for a journalistic hierarchy that distracts from a lack of trust in existing news practices. 

The BBC promises that BBC Verify will offer unique expertise and technology, stating that they intend to make the process of journalism transparent across the organization.

While trust and transparency are key to restoring faith in journalism, it is imperative that these initiatives maintain objectivity, encompassing a wide range of views and issues, and should not serve as a guise for selective reporting or censorship. 

Given these criticisms, questions remain about whether BBC Verify is a genuine endeavor for truth or an elaborate masquerade for controlling the narrative.

Ultimately, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, as BBC Verify's future actions determine its credibility and impact in the world of news journalism. 

As we chart these waters, it's equally crucial that we remain vigilant against potential threats to free speech and open dialogue in the name of truth verification. After all, truth should never be used as a weapon for censorship.

GUEST: Rebel News' Documentarian, Kian "K2" Simone joins the show to speak on the latest on his documentary with Sheila Gunn Reid: Church Under Fire: Canada's War on Christianity