BRAUN: Canadian Journalism Foundation joining fight against fake news
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The news is full of fake civil wars, fake insurance brokers, fake evangelicals — so much misinformation, so little time.
And fake news spreads like wildfire.
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Luckily, the Canadian Journalism Foundation is fighting the good fight to help us all sort fact from fiction in the ever-increasing barrage of information — and misinformation —available in our digital world.
Starting Wednesday, October 2, a new campaign called Doubt It? will give Canadians the tools to fight fake news and put their inner skeptic to work.
Doubt It? kicks off with ads and public service announcements to help you do a reality check on what you read and watch.
Just in time for the federal election, the new Doubt It? website will link you to fact-checking sites and show you videos that will help you fact-check for yourself.
Is this story accurate? Has that photo been doctored? Is this fact or rumour? Check doubtit.ca
You’ll also find a fake news quiz on the site to see how news savvy you actually are.
The goal is simple: teach Canadians the skills to understand the difference between fact-based journalism and fake news in our digital and social media-driven world.
Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, references the upcoming election when she says, “It’s fever pitch time to get some of these skills in front of Canadians.”
Turvey’s organization is already helping school children learn how to discern what’s true online.
Last year, the CJF partnered with CIVIX to build NewsWise, a curriculum for kids aged 9 to 19.
“It’s to teach them the value of journalism in our democracy,” says Turvey, “but also to give them the skills they need to find and filter information online.”
This year’s Doubt It? campaign, helped by a grant from the Google News Initiative, is for all ages, and uses humour and trusted individuals to grab a viewer’s attention.
PSAs feature Lisa LaFlamme, Peter Mansbridge, 640 News’ Supriya Dwivedi and youtube stars ASAPScience.
See fake news? Do something about it with Doubt It?
“Take a minute to try and corroborate the claim,” says Turvey.
“Are other credible sources writing about this? Check the date — is this a policy that was trotted out a long time before? Check it! Challenge it! Call it out. Call it out politely on social media.”
All you need is an internet connection to be empowered, says Turvey.
“You don’t need to be a journalist to fight fake news.”
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