Canadian Journalism Foundation to expand NewsWise program
By Adnews Staff
The Google News Initiative has granted $1 million to the Canadian Journalism Foundation to expand its NewsWise program. The initiative is intended to educate consumers about how to differentiate authentic news from misinformation. The foundation will use the funds to provide Canadian publishers with materials such as interactive public service announcements and digital content developed by specialists in the field.
According to the organization, 40% of Canadians reported finding it difficult to distinguish between truth and misinformation in the news in a recent survey. Forty-six percent of respondents also reported encountering headlines that looked like news but turned out to be paid content or ads.
“This confusion creates an erosion of trust that is a very real threat to the foundation of our democracy,” said foundation president and executive director Natalie Turvey. “Manipulation and misinformation sow many seeds, from distrust of leaders and unfounded damages to reputations to promoting hatred and recruitment of people to extremist groups. We are deeply grateful to the Google News Initiative for supporting our news literacy effort and for recognizing the value of the CJF's work. This ongoing support will allow us to scale the NewsWise program and advance the dial on news literacy with voting-age Canadians across the country.”