Ongoing Support for Research and Media Literacy Projects as Canada Continues to Fight Online Disinformation

The Government of Canada supports more than 50 projects to help counter online disinformation

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - As these past months have shown, media literacy and critical thinking are crucial tools that all Canadians—and especially vulnerable communities—need to combat online disinformation and related harms.

As we continue to face all sorts of disinformation, including that related to COVID-19, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Dominic Leblanc, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, wish to inform Canadians about the organizations benefiting from federal support from the Digital Citizen Contribution Program. Today, Minister Guilbeault met with Concordia University – Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights and the organization ISOC-Québec in order to highlight their important work in supporting efforts to counter online disinformation and other online harms and threats to Canada's democracy.

Similar to how COVID-19 disinformation can result in online and offline racism and stigmatization, disinformation and online harms targeting women can lead to gender-targeted hate speech and violence. Concordia University's Canadian Women Leaders' Digital Defence Initiative is working to better understand how digital disinformation and online harms that target Canadian women have an impact on Canada's democracy and social cohesion.

ISOC-Québec has undertaken the Diversity, Visibility and Discoverability (DVD) project to study and understand the causes and effects linked to the Canadian public's lack of exposure of to diverse online content.

Since January 2020, Canadian Heritage's Digital Citizen Contribution Program has provided $7.2 million in funding support to third-party organizations undertaking research or citizen-focused activities, such as public awareness tools and online workshops, to help Canadians become more resilient and think critically about the information they consume online. These projects reach Canadians on a national and local scale, online and offline, in minority communities, in both official languages and in Indigenous communities. This fiscal year, $4.3 million was dedicated specifically to counter COVID-19 disinformation, misleading information, and the racism and stigmatization that are often the result.

Learn more about all the projects funded in the attached list.

Quotes

"We have a responsibility to protect Canadians by providing them with the tools to identify and prevent online disinformation and the harms it can create. By raising awareness of these great media literacy research and educational tools that are available to Canadians, we can help educators, young people, parents and seniors of all backgrounds, and especially vulnerable people, build their resilience in the face of harmful and misleading online content."

—The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"The best line of defense against online disinformation is an engaged and informed public. Our government is committed to ensuring Canadians can access the resources they need to understand how disinformation can affect trust between people and their democratic institutions. Together, we can protect our democracy by learning to build transparent, healthy and factual environments."

—The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Quick Facts

Today Minister Guilbeault also met virtually with his counterparts from Australia, France, Germany and Finland to discuss the importance of international collaboration to promote a diverse online information ecosystem.

When it officially launched in 2019, the overarching Digital Citizen Initiative contributed $7 million to more than 20 projects that encouraged critical thinking about online disinformation and involvement in the democratic process. To date, these projects have reached more than 12 million Canadians.

The Digital Citizen Initiative is one of many projects in place to build citizen resilience and protect democracy in Canada. The Government of Canada is tackling online disinformation through additional initiatives like the Paris Call, and developing safeguards like the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol to further defend our democratic institutions.

The Digital Citizen Initiative and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), through the Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research, provide funding support through arm's-length SSHRC Connection Grants, supplements to recipients of SSHRC Insight Grants, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships and SSHRC Doctoral Awards.

Through arm's-length SSHRC Connection Grants as well as supplements to recipients of SSHRC Insight Grants, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships and SSHRC Doctoral Awards (Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral Scholarships and SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships).

Through a $2.5-million agreement over four years, the Digital Citizen Initiative is also supporting the Public Policy Forum's Digital Democracy Project, which brings together academics, civil society and policy professionals to support research and policy development on disinformation and online harms. The Digital Citizen Initiative is also supporting MediaSmarts' Media Literacy Week with a $225,000 agreement over three years.

Related Products

News Release: Supporting Canadians to Think Critically About Online Health Information

Associated Links

Online disinformation, Digital Citizen Initiative

Digital Citizen Contribution Program

Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research

Diversity of content in the digital age

Concordia University – Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights

ISOC-Québec

Learn more about all the projects funded since January 2020 in the attached list.

Organization Name	Project Name	Funding
Centre d'études sur les médias	Développement et expérimentation d'outils éducatifs pour contrer la désinformation en ligne chez les jeunes adultes	$40,292 (2019–2020) $165,450 (2020–2021)
NorQuest College	Engaging New Canadians through Digital and Civic Literacy	$96,931 (2019–2020) $238,796 (2020–2021)
CIVIX	Evaluating Digital Civic Literary Education-Contemporary Skills in a Canadian K12 Context	$184,990 (2019–2020) $309,330 (2020–2021)
Emily Taylor	Mechanisms of Virality: A comparative stufe of organic engagement and advertising in disinformation campaigns	$19,500 (2019–2020) $13,750 (2020–2021)
Manchester Metropolitan University	Visual Media Literacy for Combatting Disinformation: Analysing How Teachers Used the Questioning Images Resource During the 2019 Canadian Federal Elections	$41,249 (2019–2020) $173,588 (2020–2021)
Concordia University - Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies	Mapping Online Hate in Canada	$33,246 (2019–2020)
The Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/McGill University	The Digital Media Observatory	$345,000 (2019–2020) $207,000 (2020–2021)
Ryerson University	Candian Disinformation Research Network	$99,460 (2019–2020) $125,840 (2020–2021)
Upstream	Information in the Age of COVID-19	$75,000 (2019–2020) $20,000 (2020–2021)
MediaSmarts	Critical Thinking in the Digital Age: Countering Coronavirus Misinformation	$654,134 (2020–2021)
Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick	Portail de vérification des faits sur le COVID-19 / Fact-Checking portal on COVID-19	$82,225 (2019–2020) $352,500 (2020–2021)
Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec	COVID-19 : Dépister la désinfo / COVID-19: Track the facts	$330,164 (2020–2021)
Institute for Canadian Citizenship	Supporting New Canadian Citizens: Dispelling Discriminatory Disinformation Around COVID-19	$490,880 (2020–2021)
Digital Public Square	Countering Disinformation Relating to COVID-19	$13,442 (2019–2020) $665,734 (2020–2021)
Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic	Empowering, Engaging and Equipping Canadians to Combat Anti-Asian Racism through Online Resources and Social Media: A Study to Advance Policy Development and Systemic Change	$301,904 (2020–2021)
Asian Environmental Association (Hua Foundation)	Combatting COVID-19 disinformation  in Vancouver's Chinese and Vietnamese language communities	$64,660 (2020–2021)
ACCT Foundation	Mobilizing community capacity and community research to address the collateral damage of COVID-19 pandemic- Anti-Asian Racism	$309,000 (2020–2021)
Centre de recherche action sur les relations raciales	COVID-19: Say No to Discrimination: Civic Information and Mobilization Initiative / LA COVID-19: Dites non à la discrimination – une initiative civique d'information et de mobilisation	$68,100 (2020–2021)
Bilal Community and Family Centre Inc.	Countering Digital Disinformation on COVID-19 to the Black and Newcomer communities	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Calgary Animated Objects Society	Disinformation Warriors	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Centennial Centre of Science and Technology (operating as Ontario Science Centre)	Virtual Science Center - Covid Content and Critical Thinking	$40,000 (2020–2021)
City of Toronto	Social Inclusion Through Facts During COVID-19	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Clear Sky Connections	The AtHoc Communications Solution	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Club Ami	Lutte contre la désinformation en ligne par le développement des compétences numériques	$21,000 (2020–2021)
Concordia University-Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies	Canadian Coalition to Counter COVID Digital Disinformation	$39,270 (2020–2021)
Corporation of the County of Northumberland	Cybersecurity in Northumberland County	$27,400 (2020–2021)
Discovery Centre	Bias Busters	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Evidence for Democracy	Combatting misinformation through evidence-based tools for digital literacy and scientific knowledge transfer, and development of policy options	$40,000 (2020–2021)
First Peoples Radio Inc  - ELMNT FM	COVID-19 PSAs	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Grandir sans frontières	Citoyenneté 3.0	$40,000 (2020–2021)
La voix acadienne	Qui dit vrai? La COVID-19 et la désinformation en ligne	$39,900 (2020–2021)
Latincouver Cultural and Business Society	Latinos Moving Forward	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Mouvement des intervenants et des intervenantes en communication radio de l'Ontario (MICRO)	Contrer la désinformation / mésinformation sur la COVID-19	$40,000 (2020–2021)
New Canadian Media	Bridging the Mainstream-Ethnic Digital Divide in COVID-19 Literacy	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Publications Senior inc.-Bel Âge	Citoyen branché - Ma sécurité, j'y tiens!	$33,460 (2020–2021)
Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association	SK SPOT Fake News Online – COVID	$39,908 (2020–2021)
Science North	Teaching Audiences to Recognize and Address Online Disinformation through Hands-on Science Learning at Science North	$40,000 (2020–2021)
Science Timmins Inc.	Facts and Myths about COVID-19 in the Digital World	$40,000 (2020–2021)
SUPRE Incorporated	SUPRECITIZEN001	$38,552 (2020–2021)
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs	Spreading the Virus: Combatting the Dissemination of Antisemitism through Online Disinformation	$38,000 (2020–2021)
Toronto TechWorks, Inc	Project Kate--The COVID Crusader	$39,500 (2020–2021)
United Cultures of Canada Association	Strengthening Commitment to Canada Among New Canadians in the Face of COVID	$39,654 (2020–2021)
Institute on Governance	An Examination of How Social Media Narratives Affect Trust in Government	$100,000 (2020–2021)
Iris Communications	Mapping & pre-empting COVID-19 disinformation in Canada	$99,500 (2020–2021)
Kingdom Acts Foundation	Evaluating the Impact of Disinformation on Diverse and Marginalized Communities in Canada	$70,500 (2020–2021)
MacEwan University	Misinformation across Social Media Platforms and across Countries	$69,000 (2020–2021)
Ryerson University- Democratic Enngagement Exchange	Mitigating disinformation at the front lines - Building open source Canadian tools to research and counter misinformation and disinformation in both official and non-official languages	$97,407 (2020–2021)
Simon Fraser University- International CyberCrime Research Centre	Deploying Artificial Intelligence to Combat Covid-19 Disinformation on Social Media	$96,600 (2020–2021)
York University	Tracking the Social Impacts of Disinformation through Images Shared on Social Media	$99,956 (2020–2021)
Association ISOC Québec	Diversité, Visibilité et Découvrabilité	$70,094 (2020–2021)
Concordia University - Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies	Canadian Women Leaders' Digital Defence Initiative	$55,634 (2020–2021)

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For further information: (media only), please contact: Camille Gagné-Raynauld, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, 819-997-7788, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]; Corinne Havard, Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, 343-551-9740; Media Relations, Privy Council Office, 613-957-5420

Related Links

www.pch.gc.ca