/channels/taxonomy/term/23025/all en /channels/channels/news/children-youth-technology-policy-centre-media-technology-and-democracy-334974 <p>Over the last year, the Max Bell School's <a href="https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com">Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy</a> been building out a research program on kids & tech to explore a range of policy implications related to data governance and children's rights, ed-tech, school surveillance, targeted ads, kids content, gender and mental health.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/projects/children-tech-policy">Learn more about the Centre's innovative research</a>.</p> Tue, 16 Nov 2021 19:19:05 +0000 webfull 174872 at /channels /channels/channels/news/canadian-election-misinformation-project-memo-3-333806 <p></p> <p>September 16, 2021 | The <a href="https://mediaecosystemobservatory.com">Media Ecosystem Observatory</a>'s Canadian Election Misinformation Project's recent memo too a look at the American disinformation landscape, assessing the degree to which it darkest effects have seeped into Canadian society—specifically in the context of the 44th Canadian federal election. </p> <p><a href="https://mediaecosystemobservatory.com/memo-2">Read the mem</a><a href="https://mediaecosystemobservatory.com/memo-3">o</a>.</p> Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:36:12 +0000 webfull 173578 at /channels /channels/channels/news/canadian-election-misinformation-project-memo-2-333804 <p></p> <p>September 13, 2021 | The <a href="https://mediaecosystemobservatory.com">Media Ecosystem Observatory</a>'s Canadian Election Misinformation Project recently published a memo on how misinformation is fomenting violent protests among those who that vaccines and vaccine mandates, and related policies, are infringing on their civil liberties.</p> <p><a href="https://mediaecosystemobservatory.com/memo-2">Read the memo</a> to learn how this issue shaped the trajectory of the recent election.</p> Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:24:37 +0000 webfull 173575 at /channels /channels/channels/news/political-scientist-aengus-bridgman-manipulated-media-and-misinformation-cbc-radio-332987 <p>August 24, 2021 | In this CBC Radio interview, Aengus Bridgman, director of the <a href="https://mediaecosystemobservatory.com">Canadian Election Misinformation Project</a>, comments on manipulated media and misinformation in the ongoing federal election campaign.</p> <p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15862220-political-scientist-aengus-bridgman-manipulated-media-misinformation?share=true">Listen to the interview</a>.</p> Tue, 31 Aug 2021 19:03:02 +0000 webfull 172681 at /channels /channels/channels/news/will-misinformation-be-problem-election-season-cbc-news-332983 <p>August 24, 2021 | Election 44 is underway, and the Media Ecosystem Observatory's Canadian Election Misinformation Project is hard at work tracking election mis- and disinformation. Learn more about the Project in this interview with its director, Aengus Bridgman.</p> <p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1936456259734">Watch the interview</a>.</p> Tue, 31 Aug 2021 18:12:26 +0000 webfull 172676 at /channels /channels/channels/news/mcgill-launches-canadian-election-misinformation-project-332636 <p>August 19, 2021 | Mis- and dis-information are a growing threat to the integrity of free and fair elections and to the strength of democracies the world over. That is why ���ϲ����� University and the University of Toronto are announcing the creation of the Canadian Election Misinformation Project to monitor and respond to mis- and disinformation incidents and threats during the 44th Canadian federal election.</p> <p>Learn more about the project in <a href="http://reporter.mcgill.ca/mcgill-launches-canadian-election-misinformation-project/">this ���ϲ����� Reporter article</a>.</p> Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:47:55 +0000 webfull 172389 at /channels /channels/channels/news/canadians-will-see-less-politics-facebook-during-election-cbc-news-332444 <p>August 18, 2021 | Facebook and other social media companies have done a lot over the past five years to address the problem of their platforms' being used by bad actors to influence elections or spread misinformation. However, they still have a way to go. The <a href="//www.mcgill.ca/maxbellschool/research/centre-media-technology-and-democracy/mediaecosystemobservatory">Media Ecosystems Observatory</a>'s Aengus Bridgman comments on the steps Facebook is taking to prevent their platform from being misused during the federal election campaign.</p> Wed, 18 Aug 2021 16:17:33 +0000 webfull 172281 at /channels /channels/channels/news/mcgill-university-launches-canadian-election-misinformation-project-332439 <p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  </p> Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:57:27 +0000 webfull 172277 at /channels /channels/channels/news/understanding-vaccine-hesitancy-canada-attitudes-beliefs-and-information-ecosystem-327394 <p>December 2020 | This new report by the <a href="//www.mcgill.ca/maxbellschool/research/mediaecosystemobservatory">Media Ecosystem Observatory</a> looks into vaccine hesitancy in Canada in the lead-up to the development of a vaccine. Key findings included that 65% of Canadians intend to take a vaccine, and that the best opportunity to reach those who are unsure is to address important concerns around the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.</p> <p><a href="https://files.cargocollective.com/c745315/meo_vaccine_hesistancy.pdf">Read the report</a>.</p> Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:21:30 +0000 webfull 166577 at /channels /channels/channels/news/algorithm-gatekeepers-undermine-democracy-and-health-montreal-gazette-323581 <p>August 6, 2020 | Social media and other digital platforms have begun to overtake traditional journalism as our primary sources of information. The communications difficulties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated how this trend will prove to have drastic consequences on the reliability of information in our democracies. Max Bell School Professor Taylor Owen co-authored this op-ed with Ben Scott, in which they look at how misinformation, disinformation, online hate, state propaganda and partisan news result from our current information ecosystem.</p> Mon, 10 Aug 2020 14:32:48 +0000 webfull 162345 at /channels /channels/channels/news/can-ad-boycott-fix-facebooks-hate-speech-problem-cbc-news-323206 <p>July 6, 2020 | Over 800 companies are pulling their ads from Facebook in response to the Stop Hate for Profit boycott, led by civil rights groups who want to remove hate speech from the platform. Will threatening the company's bottom line motivate them into action? Max Bell School Professor Taylor Owen goes on the CBC's Front Burner to discuss the propagation of hate speech on social media. Listen in to learn about the ways that platforms can be incentivized to deal with fake news and discriminatory content.</p> Wed, 08 Jul 2020 16:40:46 +0000 webfull 161907 at /channels /channels/channels/news/covid-19-pandemic-unites-canadians-no-other-event-recent-history-study-ctv-news-322343 <p>May 25, 2020 | The study co-led by Professor Taylor Owen found that among Canadians, there is cross-partisan consensus on the threat the virus poses and measures that need to be taken to battle it. The study also found that when there isn’t a consensus – which is the case in the United States – compliance with physical distancing guidelines is undermined, which poses an obvious threat. </p> Mon, 25 May 2020 15:57:15 +0000 webfull 160881 at /channels /channels/channels/news/covid-19-pandemic-uniting-canadians-no-other-event-decades-322340 <p><i>Canada's response to the pandemic contrasts markedly with the political partisanship displayed in U.S.</i></p> <p>A new study by researchers from ���ϲ����� University and the University of Toronto finds a cross-partisan consensus on battling COVID-19 in Canada. Unlike in the U.S., this consensus is fostering broad agreement on the threats posed by the pandemic and the actions necessary to contain it – all of which is crucial to efforts to fight the virus.</p> Mon, 25 May 2020 15:14:21 +0000 webfull 160878 at /channels /channels/channels/news/rare-moment-cross-partisan-consensus-elite-and-public-response-covid-19-pandemic-canada-canadian-322313 <p>April 16, 2020 | The COVID-19 pandemic has placed nearly unprecedented pressure on policymakers and citizens alike. Effectively containing the pandemic requires a societal consensus. However, a long line of research in political science has told us that polarization tends to occur on highly salient topics because partisans “follow the leader.” Elite consensus is thus essential to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.</p> Thu, 21 May 2020 16:24:31 +0000 webfull 160851 at /channels /channels/channels/news/causes-and-consequences-covid-19-misperceptions-understanding-role-news-and-social-media-osf-322312 <p>May 4, 2020 | This research investigates the relationship between media consumption, misinformation, and important attitudes and behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Professor Taylor Owen, co-author of this article, finds that comparatively more misinformation circulates on social media platforms, while traditional news media tend to reinforce public health recommendations like social distancing.</p> Thu, 21 May 2020 16:17:12 +0000 webfull 160850 at /channels