Canadians must demand evidence

This summer marked one year since Meta pulled the plug on news in Canada. If navigating the chaos of today’s digital information landscape isn’t challenging enough, the Meta News Blockade in response to Bill C-18 has further complicated things by limiting Canadians' access to evidence-based journalism. Now, more than ever, as we celebrate Media Literacy Week, Canadians increasingly need to take matters into their own hands if they want to sift through the noise of misinformation and find trustworthy evidence for the claims they encounter. When evidence is nowhere to be found, it’s time to confront those making baseless claims and demand better. 

Beyond just keeping us informed, evidence guides the decisions that affect our everyday lives.

Consider how deeply science and research influence the decisions we make and the policies that shape our society. Whether it's the health guidelines we follow, the environmental practices we adopt or the technology we rely on, evidence is integral to our daily lives. Consider the food safety standards that ensure what we eat is healthy, the regulations that keep our air and water clean, or the innovations that make our smartphones and medical treatments possible. 

Our research shows that 80 per cent of the public wants to see the evidence that goes into decision-making. Yet, despite its critical role, the decision-making process in governments and industries often lacks transparency, making it hard to see how evidence informs policies (if at all). When we can’t see how or why decisions are made, it's hard to trust whether policy decisions are truly being made in our best interest. This makes it nearly impossible to hold leaders accountable when they fail to base decisions on the best available evidence. 

Unfortunately, barriers to accessing this evidence are substantial. Transparency issues are often discussed in terms of "reactive" measures, such as releasing documents through the Access to Information Act (ATIA). However, a "proactive" approach — embedding transparency practices at the point where evidence is translated into policy — could address these challenges more effectively. 

A lack of proactive government transparency creates fertile ground for misinformation to thrive. In the absence of reliable information, the public often turns to social media and other less vetted platforms, where misinformation rampantly fills the information void. This has real-world consequences for the well-being of Canadians. 

We experienced this first hand during the 2023 wildfires, where climate misinformation and rumours of arson led to a disruption of emergency responses, a decision to relocate firefighters, confusion for residents in Yellowknife who were seeking critical information about nearby fires, and even surfaced in the House of Commons. Climate misinformation has also stalled political action globally, delaying vital policies and solutions. 

The economic consequences of this are massive — globally, GDP is projected to be 11-14 per cent lower by 2050 due to climate change, with Canada’s own GDP expected to drop by seven per cent. Not to mention the individual risks imposed by flooding, extreme heat, wildfires, and droughts, all of which are all expected to worsen, leading to billions in damages and countless lives lost.  

​​Governments, like individuals, are not immune to the influence of misinformation. Decision-making can be severely impacted when misinformation shapes political conversations, resulting in policies based on fear-driven media narratives or exaggerated claims. When governments react to clickbait headlines and sensationalist reporting, the outcomes can be detrimental to public trust and societal well-being. This susceptibility to misinformation highlights the urgent need for a proactive, evidence-based approach to policymaking. 

At a time like this, it is more important than ever for Canadians to be reminded that we all have the right to access reliable information —  even when it seems harder to find. Knowing what information to trust is no easy feat in today’s complicated information landscape. Here, evidence has a role to play in helping to clarify the boundaries between fact, political framing, and opinion.

At Evidence for Democracy, we believe that addressing misinformation starts with empowering Canadians to actively seek out the truth behind claims that they encounter, especially when those claims shape policies that affect our lives. But digging into false claims isn’t enough. We need to tap into our collective power, as citizens, to keep government leaders, journalists, influencers, and organizations accountable by demanding evidence when it isn’t there.

That’s why we’re calling on Canadians to demand evidence and expect proactive transparency from those in power. To truly strengthen our democracy, we need to move beyond quick social media call-outs and engage in meaningful, proactive actions. 

Email your members of Parliament, write letters to the editors of your local newspapers, and make your voice heard when it comes to the decisions that are being made about your community. By taking these steps, you help build a culture of accountability and ensure that government leaders make decisions rooted in facts, not misinformation. 

Let's empower ourselves and others to demand the evidence behind the decisions that affect our lives today and in the future. 

Nada Salem is a multimedia science communicator, science policy advocate, and a master of science candidate at Harvard Medical School. She was the former communications and campaigns manager at Evidence for Democracy, a not-for-profit organization advocating for the transparent use of evidence in government decision-making in Canada, and has supported multiple Canadian nonprofits and social enterprises. Nada holds a B.Sc. from the University of Calgary.

Sarah Laframboise is the executive director of Evidence for Democracy, leading a team that connects science with policy outcomes through research and advocacy. While pursuing her PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa, Sarah founded the Ottawa Science Policy Network and co-founded the Support Our Science Campaign, successfully advocating for better funding for researchers. With nearly a decade of experience, Sarah mentors and inspires the next generation of science advocates.