It’s Media Literacy Week across Canada, and the theme—“Wait, what?”—is all about helping people spot online information that might be real, fake, or somewhere in between.
It’s something that Southeast Public Health is embracing as it strives to share information with the public.
Dr. Ethan Toumishey of Southeast Public Health explains that misinformation is false or misleading information shared without harmful intent, while disinformation is when someone knowingly spreads falsehoods.
The doctor speaks to those with good intentions.
Toumishey says both can affect our health—by causing people to delay care, avoid vaccines, try unsafe treatments, or mistrust reliable health bodies.
The doctor says misinformation and disinformation can spread quickly, so we should know what to look for, like if it triggers anger.
Dr. Toumishey urges people to pause and ask “is this accurate?” before they share it. The doctor adds that reporting questionable content and turning to trustworthy sources like Health Canada or Southeast Public Health help protect us all.
Listen to the complete interview below.