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The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) says mainstream media coverage of their recent independence rally overlooked the growing significance of Alberta separatism.

A post-rally press release was sent to mainstream media, including the Spruce Grove Examiner (a local Postmedia newspaper covering conservative areas like Spruce Grove and Stony Plain) and received by reporter/editor Josh Thomas.

Police estimated 5,000-6,000 attendees, half the press release's figure, though drone footage suggested a larger crowd than the 3,000 at the Charlie Kirk Vigil.

Despite receiving approximately $115,000 weekly in government funding, Postmedia dismissed the crowd sizes. Thomas, in particular, dismissed the APP release on the rally, claiming the attendance figures were exaggerated and that Alberta could not survive as a sovereign nation, calling the rhetoric "divisive, misleading, [and] factually incorrect."

The editor's response is problematic. His role is to report news, not express personal political opinions or dismiss facts. His email reads like an opinion column, not neutral journalism. 

Thomas’s claim about landlocked nations is easily refuted (e.g., Kazakhstan), and his assertion that "Alberta prosperity can only exist within Canada" is a partisan viewpoint, not an objective fact for a news publication.

At Rebel News, we empower journalists to pursue authentic stories and "follow the facts," even if challenging. Thomas, however, failed to gather facts, missing a newsworthy rally of thousands.

Editorial bias, exemplified by figures like Josh Thomas, erodes trust in mainstream media and fuels calls to end government bailouts. Newsrooms that prioritize personal politics over facts don't merit public funding. This illustrates cultural colonization in small-town newspapers, where urban perspectives dictate local narratives.