A bizarre right wing conspiracy magazine printed in the US and branded "dangerous propaganda" has been delivered to some Edinburgh residents, and accuses the Chinese Communist Party of orchestrating a huge cover up.
The Daily Record reports that people across the city received the glossy magazine on Tuesday morning (29 April).
In its issue dedicated to coronavirus, it claims the pandemic should be re-branded the “CCP virus” after the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
The front page of the magazine refers to the “CCP virus” and “how the Chinese Communist Party’s cover-up led to a global pandemic”.
The front page of the magazine refers to the “CCP virus” and “how the Chinese Communist Party’s cover-up led to a global pandemic”.
The suggested label appears to be at least partly inspired by US President Donald Trump, who attracted criticism for repeatedly referring to COVID-19 as the "Chinese virus."
According to the New Statesman magazine, an NBC News investigation from last year found that the outlet spent more than $1.5 million on around 11,000 pro-Trump advertisements over a six month period.
There is no explanation why the magazine was delivered to Edinburgh, but people in Oakville, Etobicoke, Markham, and Toronto in Canada also received a copy.
Scottish Labour Neil Findlay, an MSP for the Lothians, said we needed to know who was behind the mag: “The last thing we need is cranky conspiracy theories and misinformation."
Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer said branded it as dangerous propaganda: “No-one should be fooled by this glossy magazine, it is nothing more than dangerous propaganda from a fringe extremist group."
Research by the Daily Record showed the publication was founded in 2000 by Americans linked to Falun Gong, a spiritual movement in China.
It has been described as “one of the most mysterious fixtures of the pro-Trump media universe.”
A “publisher’s note” on page two of the magazine, in the name of Stephen Gregory, says the edition is trying to set “the record straight” on the CCP’s role in the crisis.
Articles focus on what it regards as the CCP’s role in the crisis and a timeline is also included. One headline reads: “Time has come to remove the cancer of the CCP.”
