With Media Literacy Week underway, Oct. 21-25, the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and MediaSmarts are among the organizations launching campaigns encouraging trust and awareness in the age of AI, deepfakes and misinformation.
CJF has launched #Trust Wisely, an invitation to newsrooms to remind their audiences how quality journalism works to earn their trust.
Recent Statistics Canada research reveals more than two in five Canadians (43%) report that it’s harder to distinguish between true and false information today than it was three years ago.
Natalie Turvey, CJF President and Executive Director, said the campaign – delivered in partnership with the Google News Initiative – unites news organizations with a shared mission to highlight how quality journalism is made.
“Our goal isn’t to dictate what’s trustworthy, but to equip audiences with the tools to discern credible reporting for themselves,” said Turvey, in a CJF announcement. “By fostering this understanding, we’re not just supporting journalism – we’re strengthening the foundation of an informed society.”
Digital and media literacy advocate MediaSmarts has also revived its house hippo campaign to address the rise of AI-generated deepfakes and encourage everyone to check information they see online before they share it.
The Break the Fake campaign, funded by the federal government, is part of MediaSmarts’ new AI literacy initiative, which includes a guide to AI funded by Meta, lesson plans for teachers, tipsheets and educational videos.
“The house hippo is a perfect reminder that it’s easier than ever to be fooled by what we see on our screens, particularly with the rise of deepfakes,” said Kathryn Ann Hill, Executive Director of MediaSmarts. “MediaSmarts believes it’s important to teach people of all ages AI literacy skills, which are founded in media literacy. If we all take a moment to pause and check before we share information with our friends and family, especially when it comes to topics like politics and health, we can help stop the spread of misinformation.”
MediaSmarts is currently conducting a research study to test the effectiveness of the Break the Fake campaign videos, using surveys and focus groups to measure its impact on participants’ ability to recognize and respond to false information. The results will be released in 2025.
The third annual Digital Citizen Day takes place Wednesday, Oct. 23, during Media Literacy Week. Sponsored by TikTok Canada, it encourages users to be part of the solution toward making digital spaces better and share their experiences online using the hashtag #DigitalCitizenDay.
