Young Canadians learn to tell fact from fake for Media Literacy Week 2018

OTTAWA, April 18, 2018 /CNW/ - MediaSmarts, Canada's centre for digital and media literacy, and the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) are pleased to announce that this year's Media Literacy Week will focus on helping students decipher truth from fiction online.

The week, to be held Nov. 5 to 9, will have as its theme "Fact or Fake: Help the World Stop Misinformation in Its Tracks" to highlight the importance of verifying that online information is true, unbiased and relevant.

"Young Canadians aren't just passive consumers of media anymore ? they're broadcasters too," says Cathy Wing, Co-Executive Director of MediaSmarts. "It's harder than ever to tell the difference between accurate information and advertising, misinformation and parody, and it's easy for any of us to inadvertently spread false information."

"With the international spotlight on 'fake news,' teachers can help students develop the search, authentication and critical thinking skills needed in the digital age," says CTF President H. Mark Ramsankar. "They can also emphasize the importance of practicing those skills in everything from academic research to social media feeds."

Media Literacy Week, an annual event co-hosted by MediaSmarts and CTF since 2006, highlights the importance of teaching children and teens digital and media literacy skills. Over 90 collaborating organizations ? including the National Film Board, the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, libraries and teacher organizations ? participate each year by organizing activities across Canada and internationally. Media Literacy Week was officially adopted in the U.S. in 2015, where it is led by the National Association for Media Literacy Education.

MediaSmarts welcomes TELUS and Facebook as Platinum Sponsors, and YouTube and Bell as Gold Sponsors of Media Literacy Week 2018. Announcements of events, programs, partners and more will continue leading up to Media Literacy Week in November. For updates, visit medialiteracyweek.ca or sign up for the e-bulletin.

About MediaSmarts
MediaSmarts is a Canadian not-for-profit centre for digital and media literacy. Its vision is that children and youth have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens. MediaSmarts offers hundreds of digital and media literacy resources for teachers, parents and librarians on its website.

About CTF
Founded in 1920, CTF is a national alliance of provincial and territorial Member organizations that represent over 238,000 teachers across Canada. CTF is also an affiliate of the 30-million member Education International.

SOURCE Canadian Teachers' Federation