Conspiracy theories and incorrect scientific information about Covid-19 have taken root in Canada, according to a recent survey conducted by the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University. Nearly half of Canadians (46 per cent) believed at least one of four Covid-19 conspiracy theories and myths addressed in the survey.
“I was floored by the overconfidence Canadians have in their own ability to distinguish conspiracy theories and misinformation,” said Sarah Everts, CTV Chair in Digital Science Journalism, and a co-researcher on the study. “Everyone has fallen prey at some point to misinformation on social media. Anyone who thinks that it’s easy to distinguish conspiracy theories and misinformation is at high risk of being fooled.”
Sarah Everts during an interview on May 20 with CTV Ottawa’s Patricia Boal.
Everts conducted this research with fellow School of Journalism and Communication faculty members: Josh Greenberg, Chris Waddell, and Brett Popplewell. The survey was done through Abacus Data and funded by the Faculty of Public Affairs. Read the full story here.
Media coverage on the research:
https://globalnews.ca/news/6962870/coronavirus-misinformation-carleton-survey/
Friday, May 22, 2020 in General, Journalism News
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