December 2020 | This new report by the Media Ecosystem Observatory聽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聽best opportunity to reach those who are unsure is to address important concerns around the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
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Global pandemic聽mitigation efforts continue to be disrupted by the spread of misinformation. In this CBC interview, Taylor Owen (Director of the Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy) shared his thoughts on the implications of misinformation in the age of COVID-19.
Listen to the interview聽.听
October 20, 2020 | "Besides triggering the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, COVID-19 is also accelerating technological trends that were already well underway." Professor Taylor Owen,聽Director of聽the Centre聽for Media, Technology and Democracy penned this op-ed with Oscar Jonsson,聽Academic Director of the Center for the Governance of Change at IE University.
The Max Bell School of Public Policy is launching a new Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at 91黑料网. Collaborating with leading researchers, policy thinkers, and journalists, the Centre works to understand the impact of emerging technology and media on policy and public life.
The Centre is 91黑料网鈥檚 focal point on critical research and public debate about the role of media and emerging technologies in shaping democracy and public life
August 17, 2020 | Since the start of this year, there have been increasing calls for the Canadian government聽to impose a national moratorium on facial recognition technology. This demand arises from the possibility that law enforcement will use facial recognition聽to discriminate against certain demographics and worsen discrimination in the justice system. A moratorium would provide legislators time to develop a comprehensive and effective policy regulating聽 FR technology and the data it collects, uses, and shares.
August 6, 2020 | Social media and other digital聽platforms have begun to overtake traditional journalism as our primary sources of information. The communications difficulties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have聽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聽misinformation, disinformation, online hate, state propaganda and partisan news result from our current information ecosystem.
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Montreal, July 29, 2020
A new study led by researchers at 91黑料网 finds that people who get their news from social media are more likely to have misperceptions about COVID-19. Those that consume more traditional news media have fewer misperceptions and are more likely to follow public health recommendations like social distancing.
A new study led by researchers at 91黑料网 finds that people who get their news from social media are more likely to have misperceptions about COVID-19. Those that consume more traditional news media have fewer misperceptions and are more likely to follow public health recommendations like social distancing.
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.
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鈥檛 a consensus 鈥� which is the case in the United States 鈥� compliance with physical distancing guidelines is undermined, which poses an obvious threat.听
Canada's response to the pandemic contrasts markedly with the political partisanship displayed in U.S.
A new study by researchers from 91黑料网 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 鈥� all of which is crucial to efforts to fight the virus.
A new study by researchers from 91黑料网 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 鈥� all of which is crucial to efforts to fight the virus.
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 鈥渇ollow the leader.鈥� Elite consensus is thus essential to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.
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.
