Summarised by Centrist
The Disinformation Project (TDP) has officially closed. Initially focused on countering COVID “misinformation”, it expanded its scope to take on the supposed spectre of white nationalism.
According to retired judge and blogger David Harvey, the concerning aspect of TDP, “was the lack of rigour and approach that was taken” to the work they were producing.
The project, led by Kate Hannah and Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa, faced criticism for exaggerating threats and lacking evidence for its claims.
“Yet Mainstream Media uncritically drank the Disinformation Project Kool Aid, citing their sound bites as authoritative when clearly they were not. In this respect the Disinformation Project was promulgating its own form of, if not disinformation, then misinformation,” writes Harvey at his blog, The Halfling’s View.
Kate Hannah has been caught up in defamation cases, including a lawsuit from citizen journalist Chantelle Baker, which exposed the Project’s baseless accusations.
The Halfling’s View observes that TDP’s over-reliance on neo-Marxist and critical theory analysis, along with a refusal to share supporting data is a concern.
Editor’s note: Read about Centrist’s role in backing and supporting Chantelle Baker’s successfully settled suit against The NZ Herald and Kate Hannah here. Read about our backing of Julian Batchelor of Stop Co-governance’s ongoing suit against Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa, also a principal of the Disinformation Project,here. We are also supporting a suit against Stuff and Kate Hannah for the Fire and Fury video.