NEW DELHI: Canada’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Report has listed Indian media outlets and journalists, alleging that they align with the Indian government in their coverage of the slain Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh and the subsequent incidents.
This has reportedly influenced Canadians due to the media’s extensive outreach.
“The incident has evolved into a diplomatic crisis between Canada and India that will likely carry considerable implications for Canadian foreign policy,” says the report titled ‘Potential Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference.’
On June 18, 2023, Nijjar was shot and killed by two masked individuals outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, located in Surrey, British Columbia.
Meanwhile, the RRM alleges that “Modi-aligned outlets amplified several narratives that targeted Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Canadian High Commissioner in India, Canada’s Punjabi Sikh diaspora, Canada’s national security agencies and slain Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s political beliefs.”
The report also alleges that the tenor of the narratives was often heated with commentators employed by Modi-aligned outlets posting that PM Trudeau and Canadian institutions were enablers of terrorism falling into the laps of Khalistani extremists.
Interestingly, the report suggested that the narratives were isolated and not repetitive.
“Some Modi-aligned outlets have fourteen times the following of Canadian outlets like CBC and CTV News - both Canadian and global audiences were likely exposed to Modi-aligned narratives, themes, and stories on social media platforms,” the report said.
“These Modi-aligned outlets are very popular with domestic Indian audiences, and diaspora communities some outlets have more than 10 million YouTube subscribers. In comparison, Canada's media outlets have a relatively small presence, with few media entities breaking even a million subscribers,” alleges the report thereby suggesting that the reach of media outlets in India is large.
It also alleged that China lifted the stories of the Indian media replicating the narrative that showed Canada in a negative light – in isolation from its partners in the G7.
In contrast the report suggests that all RRM Canada reporting is based on publicly available date and was subject to an ethical and methodological framework.
