The CAJ launches new national misinformation training series for post-secondary students

TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the launch of Misinfo 101, a series of national training workshops designed to help Canadian post-secondary students identify misinformation and disinformation.

The first session in the series will be held on January 20 and taught by ProPublica's Craig Silverman, in partnership with Seneca College. The session will be open to all post-secondary students living in Ontario. You can register for this first session here.

While the CAJ hopes future sessions will be able to be held in-person, we are abiding by public health restrictions and holding sessions virtually until future notice.

"The CAJ is kicking off our national training series with a 'bang' by welcoming  one of the world's leading experts on identifying misinformation," said CAJ president Brent Jolly.

"This series of workshops is timely because the spread of misinformation is a global problem that has only been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadians must not lull themselves into a false sense of security that they are somehow immune from the 'information disorder' currently sweeping across the globe. We must continually remain vigilant - and a key part of doing so is ensuring our digital literacy skills are plugged into best practices."

The CAJ is pleased that some of Canada's top investigative journalists, fact-checkers and researchers developed the workshop curriculum. Training sessions will take place in 13 provinces and territories across Canada this year.

Local instructors from Radio-Canada, ProPublica, The University of King's College, and CBC have signed on to lead sessions from coast to coast to coast.

"As our online environments become increasingly complex and convoluted, these training sessions will give students tools, resources, and practical advice to help them to clearly identify and report on misinformation, and find credible information,'' Jolly said.

For full details on the series, including local instructor bios, the list of cities and dates, and other resources, please click here: caj.ca/misinfo101

The CAJ's misinformation training series is made possible with the generous support of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA).

About the CAJ

The Canadian Association of Journalists is a professional organization with more than 1,100 members across Canada. The CAJ's primary roles are public-interest advocacy work and professional development for its members.

SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists