media

Taylor Owen on Canadians’ Vulnerability to Election Disinformation | TVO Today

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:30:42 +0000

April 23, 2025 | Taylor Owen, principal investigator for the Media Ecosystem Observatory, highlights the growing challenge of disinformation in Canada’s high-stakes federal election. In an interview with Steve Paikin on TVO Today, Owen explains how the rapid spread of false and misleading information online is making it increasingly difficult for voters to distinguish fact from fiction.

Taylor Owen on Canada’s Fragile Online Media and the Threat of Manipulation | Get Fact

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:38:54 +0000

April 13, 2025 | In a recent interview, Taylor Owen warned that Canada’s online media environment is more fragile and susceptible to manipulation than ever before. As trust in journalism declines, he explained that political support for far-right parties abroad often backfires, making Canadian politicians cautious. He highlighted the challenges of detecting foreign interference on platforms like Twitter, especially without strong transparency laws such as the failed Online Harms Act.

Aengus Bridgman on Canada’s Online News Ban and the Rise of Partisan Disinformation | The New York Times

isabela.sullivan@mcgill.ca — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:49:08 +0000

April 21, 2025 | In an interview with The New York Times, Aengus Bridgman warns that Meta’s 2023 news ban on Facebook and Instagram in Canada has left the country’s online media environment vulnerable to disinformation and polarization ahead of the federal election. With mainstream news blocked, hyperpartisan pages like Canada Proud have surged in popularity, spreading misleading content and amplifying political division.

Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression

matthew.mclaughlin2@mail.mcgill.ca — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 17:34:00 +0000

The Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression was established in spring 2020 with a three-year mandate to better understand, anticipate, and respond to the effects of new digital technologies on public life and Canadian democracy. In January 2021, the Commission published the first of its three annual reports, which laid out a six-step program to reduce online hate and other harms.

Taylor Owen on the challenges of moderating online content | CBC News

lilia.brahimi@mail.mcgill.ca — Thu, 16 May 2019 15:51:22 +0000

May 15, 2019 | ɬ�﷬'s Chair of Media, Ethics and Communications Taylor Owen joined CBC's Andrew Nichols to talk about the challenges in tackling online extremism. The technical challenges faced by world leaders and companies are, he says, very intricate and nuanced and require careful scanning and moderating. Beyond these technical difficulties, there is also a political dimension to this issue that requires a societal discussion on how "hate speech regulations" should be implemented.

Taylor Owen on the "Christchurch Call" | CBC Radio

lilia.brahimi@mail.mcgill.ca — Thu, 16 May 2019 20:55:04 +0000

May 15, 2019 | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other world leaders reunited in Paris for the "Christchurch Call" summit. This meeting brought together politicians and industry leaders in tech to fight the spread of online extremism. ɬ�﷬'s Chair of Media, Ethics and Communications Taylor Owen was invited to CBC's Front Burner to discuss the challenges in implementing efficient measures to combat online hate speech.

Media Ecosystem Observatory

yue.zeng2@mail.mcgill.ca — Thu, 21 May 2020 18:22:31 +0000

Media Ecosystem Observatory

The Media Ecosystem Observatory (MEO) is a research initiative co-led by Professor Taylor Owen. The objective of MEO is to develop an evidence-based model for information ecosystem health, in order to both better understand the online harms and digital threats to democracy, and to safeguard against it.

Digital Democracy Project

lilia.brahimi@mail.mcgill.ca — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:25:25 +0000

The Digital Democracy Project was a joint initiative led by the Max Bell School of Public Policy at ɬ�﷬ and the Ottawa-based Public Policy Forum.