Faculty

Norman Hillmer on US-Canada Relationship | Rear Vision

pinaki.siwach@mail.mcgill.ca — Wed, 07 May 2025 15:30:48 +0000

March 30, 2025 | Norman Hillmer, Slater Family Visiting Scholar, along with Robert Bothwell and Diane Francis spoke about the US-Canada relationship since the Trump Administration on Rear Vision podcast.

Vincent Rigby on a new Strategic Canadian Foreign Policy | Policy Options

pinaki.siwach@mcgill.ca — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:01:50 +0000

April 3, 2025 | Professor Vincent Rigby and Norman Hillmer, wrote about the lack of strategic approach of Canada to world affairs and how it has been slow to react to rapidly changing threats.

New book on National Security

pinaki.siwach@mcgill.ca — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:27:19 +0000

December 21, 2024 | Norman Hillmer (Slater Visiting Scholar) and Vincent Rigby co-edited with Phil Legasse from NPSIA, book named Canada Among Nations 2023: Twenty-First Century National Security. The book includes articles by Jennifer Welsh on Choices for Canada in a New Geopolitical

Norman Hillmer on Trump’s 51st-state threats | Toronto Life

pinaki.siwach@mail.mcgill.ca — Wed, 07 May 2025 15:20:19 +0000

March 11, 2025 | Norman Hillmer, a Slater Family Visiting Scholar interviewed by Toronto Life, spoke on Trump’s 51st-state threats. "As a historian of the Canadian–American relationship, I have spent decades studying a dynamic that has been not perfect but largely dependable: two countries, deeply interconnected, running in parallel," said Norman. He further spoke about Trump's administration, defense spending, and "the 51st State."

Norman Hillmer on Canada becoming the 51st State of the US | LCSC

pinaki.siwach@mail.mcgill.ca — Wed, 07 May 2025 15:01:40 +0000

March 10, 2025 | Norman Hillmer, a Slater Family Visiting Scholar spoke on “Canada as the 51st State? A History and a Reckoning,” at the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canadian History, Wilfrid Laurier University. President Donald Trump wants Canada to be his 51st State. This isn’t the first time that an American leader thought this way.

Taylor Owen and Helen A. Hayes on Protecting Canada’s Digital Sovereignty Through Unified Regulation | The Globe and Mail

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:08:51 +0000

April 7, 2025 | Taylor Owen and Helen A. Hayes wrote an opinion piece arguing that Canada’s failure to regulate its digital space is no longer just a tech policy issue—it’s a national security concern. With rising disinformation and direct interference from the U.S., Canadians now view the United States as a greater foreign threat than China or Russia. Although the Trudeau government introduced several digital policy bills, including those addressing online harms, AI regulation, and cybersecurity, most were abandoned after Parliament was prorogued.

Aengus Bridgman on Combating Information Manipulation in Social Media During Elections | CBC

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 17:44:30 +0000

April 9, 2025 | Aengus Bridgman from the Media Ecosystem Observatory was interviewed by CBC’s Farah Nasser, where he highlighted the dangers of unregulated social media during elections. With a vast, active audience and minimal oversight, social media platforms have become prime spaces for information manipulation. Bridgman discusses how misinformation spreads on these platforms and shares key insights on what to look out for in social media feeds as the election approaches.

Husein Pumaya Yakubu on Transparency as a Tool for Long-Term Governance in Ghana | Policy Magazine

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:09:14 +0000

April 15, 2025 | MPP '25 Husein Pumaya Yakubu highlights the limitations of transparency in Ghana’s post-pandemic governance. While former president Nana Akufo-Addo’s transparent communication during COVID-19 initially unified citizens, Yakubu argues it masked deeper issues like economic mismanagement and rising debt. Drawing a parallel with Canada, Yakubu suggests that transparency, while crucial during crises, must be sustained through regular financial updates, stronger oversight, and grassroots participation.

Pearl Eliadis on Bill 94 and Quebec’s Secularism Strategy | CBC

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:42:59 +0000

March 20, 2025 | In a CBC interview, Pearl Eliadis criticized Quebec’s Bill 94, arguing that the government is fully aware the legislation violates the Canadian Constitution. She pointed to the use of the notwithstanding clause as proof, saying it allows the government to override fundamental rights because it knows the bill wouldn’t hold up in court. Eliadis described the law as a political tactic by the Coalition Avenir Québec to win support by outdoing the Parti Québécois on issues of identity and language.

Aengus Bridgman on the Rise of Deepfake Scams and Political Disinformation in Canada’s Election | The Guardian

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:25:21 +0000

April 18, 2025 | In an interview with The Guardian, Media Ecosystem Observatory Executive Director Aengus Bridgman warned of a dramatic surge in fake political content on social media as Canadians prepare to vote in the federal election. Bridgman explains that, despite Meta’s ban on Canadian news sharing, more than half of Canadians still rely on Facebook for political information—now increasingly shaped by fake headlines, fraudulent ads, and deepfake videos.

Taylor Owen on Combating Election Interference and Reimagining Canada’s Digital Policy | The Paul Wells Show

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:31:47 +0000

April 16, 2025 | In an interview on The Paul Wells Show, Taylor Owen, founding director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at ��ϲ�� University, raised urgent concerns about online election interference in Canada. Drawing from his work with the Media Ecosystem Observatory, Owen explains how foreign and domestic actors attempt to sway public opinion through misinformation and platform manipulation. He emphasizes that while online interference is not always overt, its cumulative effect undermines democratic processes.

Taylor Owen on Canada’s Fragile Media Ecosystem and the Mainstreaming of Disinformation | CBC

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:38:41 +0000

March 24, 2025 | In a recent interview with CBC, Taylor Owen, Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, warned that Canada’s online media environment is more fragile and susceptible to manipulation than ever before. As trust in journalism declines, Owen explains, disinformation that once existed on the fringes is now entering the mainstream—largely through social media platforms.

Taylor Owen Interviews Jim Balsillie on How to Build a More Sovereign Canada | The Globe and Mail

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:17:27 +0000

April 24, 2025 | With less than a week before the federal election, Taylor Owen sat down with Jim Balsillie—former co-CEO of Research in Motion and one of Canada’s most prominent business leaders—to discuss why Canada’s economy is falling behind and what must change. As Donald Trump escalates attacks on the Canadian economy and hints at turning Canada into the “51st state,” Balsillie argues the real threat to Canadian sovereignty isn’t Trump—it’s decades of political complacency and corporate capture.

Taylor Owen on Canadians’ Vulnerability to Election Disinformation | TVO Today

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:30:42 +0000

April 23, 2025 | Taylor Owen, principal investigator for the Media Ecosystem Observatory, highlights the growing challenge of disinformation in Canada’s high-stakes federal election. In an interview with Steve Paikin on TVO Today, Owen explains how the rapid spread of false and misleading information online is making it increasingly difficult for voters to distinguish fact from fiction.

Taylor Owen on Canada’s Fragile Online Media and the Threat of Manipulation | Get Fact

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:38:54 +0000

April 13, 2025 | In a recent interview, Taylor Owen warned that Canada’s online media environment is more fragile and susceptible to manipulation than ever before. As trust in journalism declines, he explained that political support for far-right parties abroad often backfires, making Canadian politicians cautious. He highlighted the challenges of detecting foreign interference on platforms like Twitter, especially without strong transparency laws such as the failed Online Harms Act.