What Springfield, Ohio, can teach Canadians about digital mis- and disinformation; Toronto Star, October 5, 2024

Bessma Momani and Shelly Ghai Bajaj , Toronto Star; What Springfield, Ohio, can teach Canadians about digital mis- and disinformation

"Digital disinformation can be dangerous and too often, racialized ethnocultural communities bear the brunt of it.

Disinformation during election time certainly gets media attention, but it is the everyday disinformation that we need to pay attention to. We need to wake up to see how this near constant flow — the ‘slow drip of polarizing and illiberal narratives’ — erodes Canadian values and social cohesion...

In fact, foreign interference in Canada’s democratic and electoral processes, including the use of disinformation, is expected to play an even larger role in future election cycles.

Thankfully there is growing awareness to this problem; one poll estimates that 84 per cent of Canadians are concerned about disinformation and potential impact on democracy. Canadians are also aware of the potential weaponization of emergent technologies and capabilities with 80 per cent of Canadians indicating concern about the abuse of AI and the spread of AI-generated disinformation in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election.

But, while this growing awareness and attention is positive, we need to pay attention to disinformation in everyday contexts, to help build societal resilience and prevent social polarization."