There’s an increasing number of people in my life who choose not to engage with the news because it’s too overwhelming, depressing, or sensationalized. I get it, it definitely can be. But what’s the cost of tuning it out completely? 

We all seek to protect our inner peace when it comes to receiving a constant stream of global updates and information. However, it’s a civic duty to stay informed, as an uninformed society is vulnerable to misinformation, political manipulation, and the risk of an unhealthy democracy. 

Note: Misinformation refers to false information that is not intended to cause harm. Disinformation refers to false information that is intended to manipulate, cause damage, or guide people, organizations, and countries in the wrong direction.

Currently, it can feel like we’re navigating a digital jungle, hacking our way through excess information and avoiding misinformation while trying to stay on the path of relevant truth. But with a few more tools on our belt, we can navigate this jungle with a bit more ease while fulfilling our civic responsibility to stay informed.

What it Takes to be Properly Informed?

When people choose to disengage from the news, whether it’s from overwhelm, apathy, or distrust, they also take a step away from the processes that are shaping society. 

If people lack information, they lack the power to make informed voting decisions. Instead of voting based on policy, they may stick to voting based on loyalty to a specific party. Democracy was designed to equip people with decision-making power, which is why we vote. Without information, we lose the power to make informed voting decisions.

Staying properly informed doesn’t just mean, “consume information; read the news!” It also comes with a responsibility that extends beyond the end of that article or video segment. 

Digital Jungle

We are now fully submerged in a new realm of how we receive and consume our news – online. Newspapers are dying, paywalls deter people, and there’s a growing distrust in government-funded media. 

People are now turning to and relying on social media platforms, podcasts, and short-form content (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, etc.) as their main sources of information. This has led to an inevitable blend of entertainment and news, with algorithmic technology tailoring content to our unique taste. While this can make information more accessible, it may also dilute its quality.

While engaging with content online allows us to take in a variety of perspectives, it’s equally important to balance these non-traditional news sources with reliable, traditional outlets. Pairing this with reputable fact-checking websites ensures the information we consume is both diverse and accurate.

We currently live in a world where news is instantaneous, technology is smart and efficient, and content delivery is strategically tailored to us. In this digital jungle, we risk getting too comfortable in our perfectly crafted echo chambers.

Breaking out of the echo chamber requires questioning, verifying, and comparing multiple sources.

We Aren’t Immune to Propaganda…Or Misinformation (Unless we do the work)

We’ve all fallen victim to misinformation at some point. It preys on our emotional responses, often spreading a specific rhetoric or agenda. It looks like news, sounds like news, and feels like news, but ultimately, it distorts our understanding and can leave us with a skewed view of reality.

We can fall for misinformation due to the emotional response it triggers, its alignment with our existing beliefs or opinions, or a lack of media literacy skills (e.g. questioning and evaluating the news we consume, fact-checking, and comparing information between outlets).

Misinformation also threatens democracy because it takes advantage of distorting our outlook. Manipulating this information can skew how we perceive politicians, policies, and even facts themselves. When it starts to intentionally distort the truth, that is when it becomes disinformation, when truth becomes subjective and can be used to strategically shape a false narrative with a purpose to cause harm or deceit.

Government-Funded News – Ahhh!

I get it, it sounds scary, but it’s actually crucial for a healthy democracy. Remember when I mentioned that paywalls deter people? Without government funding, we’d either face paywalls, making news inaccessible, or be heavily influenced by ad revenue, which could lead to biased reporting as outlets cater to advertisers’ interests over the truth.

Here’s where it gets tricky: Government-funded news only supports a healthy democracy when the news outlet has editorial independence, which means that the outlet has complete freedom in what they cover. That’s the key. When an outlet lacks editorial independence, government funding can shift from being supportive to becoming a form of government control.

For example, in some countries government-funded news outlets may avoid coverage of government policies or choose not to cover opposing voices, leading to an inaccurate representation of key issues.

Countries with public broadcasters are more likely to have healthier democracies and better-informed citizens. While no system is completely perfect, public funding helps safeguard journalism’s role as a pillar of democracy.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC News) is a government-funded news outlet, funded publicly by us taxpayers. CBC’s system was designed to protect the independence of journalism, in fact, it’s law!

The Broadcasting Act is a set of legal parameters for broadcasting in Canada, and CBC News has an obligation to operate independently, ensuring it isn’t influenced by the government. 

Let’s go back to the start: An informed public is the foundation of a healthy democracy. How do we achieve that? By ensuring free access to independent media. Publicly funded news plays a key role by providing reliable, diverse information, free from commercial or political influence.

The best part of living in this modern society with open access to information is that we have an all-you-can-eat buffet of content at our fingertips. However, just like any buffet, we need to mindfully choose our media diet, refrain from binging, and focus on consuming information that nourishes both our understanding and our sense of responsibility.

Staying informed isn’t just about consuming news, it’s how we consume it. In an age of abundant information, not all of it is reliable. Our civic duty goes beyond simply being informed; it’s about questioning, verifying, and comparing sources to ensure we’re properly informed. Our democracy depends on it.

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RESOURCES: 

Reputable Traditional News Outlets: CBC News, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, The Globe and Mail. 

News Aggregators: Ground News is a great resource and news aggregator that collects news stories from diverse outlets, allowing you to compare them based on where they lean politically – left, right, or center. 

A few other examples of news aggregators are: Google News, Feedly, Flipboard

Fact-Checking Resources: Canada’s National Observer – Fact Check

The following are heavily focused on American content and may not be as helpful for checking most Canadian-specific information. However, they can still be useful, as American content often influences or overlaps with Canadian news. –  PolitiFact, Snopes, FactCheck.org

Before you Share: Check at least one alternative source or fact-checking site before sharing or acting on news and remember to check the credentials and sources of those providing information.

STATS & INFO:

Podcasts Statisitics:
https://backlinko.com/podcast-stats

Increase of Consuming News through Short-Form:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/17/more-americans-regularly-get-news-on-tiktok-especially-young-adults/

How Social Media Algorithms Work:
https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-do-social-media-algorithms-work

Misinformation Stats (Canada):
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/22-20-0001/222000012024003-eng.htm