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ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Canada’S Trusted Source for Digital and Media Literacy

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ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Canada’S Trusted Source for Digital and Media Literacy ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Canada’s trusted source for digital and media literacy “We brag all the time about We made an impact using MediaSmarts’ resources. 3.3 million page views and They are Canadian, based in 1.2 million users on mediasmarts.ca current research, and well for our free online resources packaged. It’s a no-brainer!” – Yukon Department of Education contact MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2 We worked with more partners than ever before Alberta Teachers Association eQuality Simon Fraser University Apathy is Boring Facebook TELUS Agence Science-Presse FOSI TrendMicro Boys and Girls Club of Canada Goodly Labs, Berkeley Institute for Twitter Data Science Canadian Association of Journalists UNESCO GAPMIL Girl Guides Canadian Commission for UNESCO University of Toronto Historica Canada CBC Kids University of Waterloo ICTC CHEO YouthNet Wattpad Imagine Canada CIRA Youth Ottawa Immunize Canada Community Information Centre of YWCA Ottawa Institute Canadian Citizenship Canadian Heritage International School Health Network Canadian Paediatric Society Internet Society Canadian Standards Association ISED Canadian Teachers’ Federation National News Media Council Carleton University Office of the Privacy Commissioner CLEMI Ontario Library Association Concordia University Ottawa Public Library CPN-PREV PHAC Crime Prevention Ottawa PREVNet CRTC Public Safety Canada Disconnect Challenge Alberta Ryerson Democratic Engagement Exchange Elections Canada Screen-Free Week Encounters With Canada Shaw MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 3 We conducted ground- breaking research YOUNG CANADIANS PUSHING BACK AGAINST HATE ONLINE MediaSmarts conducted a national survey of 1,000 youth ages 12 to 16 to better understand their attitudes and experiences with casual prejudice “Young people have the online. The study, funded by Public Safety Canada, found that: power to change internet • 80% of youth think it’s important to speak up when they see hate online, culture by speaking out but only 10% frequently do so against hate when they • Youth look up to adults to model ethical digital citizenship, and have seen see it. The Government adults engaging in prejudice online: “Adults do it too and kids see that as of Canada is proud to an example” support research into • 70% said they would be more likely to push back if platforms had clear the online experiences of rules and tools to report the behaviour young Canadians, which • Parents and educators need to be prepared to support youth in pushing helps build the evidence back against casual prejudice online in safe and respectful ways we need to help youth prevent and confront the spread of hate and violence on the internet.” —The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 4 YCWW PHASE IV: TALKING TO YOUTH AND PARENTS ABOUT ONLINE RESILIENCY Phase IV of our landmark Young Canadians in a Wireless World study began “It seems like every in 2019, starting with focus groups with youth ages 11 to 17 and their parents. Funded by CIRA, the report showed youth are aware of both the positive and day we read headlines negative aspects of technology: about the challenges • Youth use social media to connect with peers and get involved in popular young people face online, culture, but fear becoming ‘addicted’ to their devices and prefer face- but this new research to-face interactions suggests today’s youth are • Schools provide opportunities to use tech to advance learning, but sometimes require that students use a device when they would prefer to conscientious and savvy, use pen and paper and are setting boundaries • “Creepy” surveillance in the classroom and at home erodes the trust with technology so they youth have in the adults can participate in what’s happening in real life.” —David Fowler, CIRA vice-president, marketing and communications MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 5 We launched new programs and resources FEATURED PROGRAMS Break the Fake: Public awareness and education campaign Canadians of all ages learned the importance of checking the facts before sharing anything online “This project extends our work to through one of MediaSmarts’ largest projects to date, create a safer digital world for funded by Canadian Heritage. This national public awareness campaign women and girls while addressing featured the iconic the need for safety privacy training house hippo in a PSA for women to empower them online that reached millions of Canadians through in- and offline.” kind advertising donated - Maya Roy, CEO of YWCA Canada by Bell Media, Corus, APTN, The Family Channel, Facebook and Twitter. DigitalSmarts: Digital literacy skills Online learning materials supported the campaign, workshops including a workshop, lesson plans for K-12, tip sheets, DigitalSmarts is a digital literacy posters, quizzes and a series of videos. skills program funded by ISED in partnership with the YWCA • Over 8.8 million social media impressions for the campaign to empower and support under-represented Canadians. • The BreaktheFake.ca page has received over The program comprises eight 80,000 visits since October 2019 workshop modules covering topics like protecting privacy and security online, job “The original house hippo ad was searching, using social media and managing screen time for kids. targeted at kids warning them to be • Workshops are being delivered by YWCA skeptical of what they saw on TV. facilitators across the country But we now live in a world of the • Content includes facilitator’s guides, quizzes, internet, deepfakes and fake news. It videos and practice sheets, which are also available makes sense the house hippo needed to on the MediaSmarts website level up.” – Huffington Post MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 6 NEW RESOURCES How to tell fact from fake online: A Empowering young users to Reality Check Guide—Educational push back against hate online— guide produced in partnership recommendations for platforms, with Facebook’s Canadian Election based on online hate research Integrity Initiative funded by Public Safety Canada Digital Skills for Democracy: How to push back against hate Assessing online information to online—tip sheet for youth based make civic choices—Lesson plan for on online hate research funded by Elections Canada Public Safety Canada Check the source—Digital literacy Talking to kids about hate online— videos for seniors developed for tip sheet for parents based on online Elections Canada hate research funded by Public Safety Canada Art Exchange, The Invisible Machine: Big Data and You and Technology "I was really impressed by Facilitated Violence: Criminal Case Law—The eQuality Project lesson MediaSmarts’ resources plans and I would definitely recommend using their lesson plans, especially NEW LICENSED DIGITAL LITERACY TUTORIAL because they connect so well to (our) curriculum!" A Day in the Life of the Jos is a brand new comprehensive – Shelby Mackey, Saskatchewan high digital citizenship tutorial for students in grades six to eight. school teacher and blogger Covering topics like cyberbullying, online relationships, privacy and reputation, and authenticating information, students go through five days in the lives of brother and sister Jo and Josie, facing challenges such as deciding whether to post an embarrassing photo of a friend, or responding to “trash talk” in an online game. “You are to be commended for your exceptional resources.” – Northwest Territories Ministry of Education contact MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 7 Engaging with Canadians Our experts did 154 media interviews with outlets including the CBC, CTV, Radio-Canada, Global News, Canadian Press, Toronto Star, La Presse, the Globe and Mail, the Wall Street Journal and more! MEDIA LITERACY WEEK 2019 Media Literacy Week is a national awareness week hosted by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, with media and digital literacy activities taking place across Canada. The 14th annual Thousands Media Literacy Week was our biggest yet, and the featured Break the of participants Fake resources were used widely by Collaborators. We also hosted a across Canada sold-out launch event in Toronto with guests Timothy Caulfield and Ramona Pringle, hosted by CBC’s Jayme Poisson. Over 114 “This type of programming is increasingly collaborators nationwide important. Keep up the good work!” up from 70 in 2018 –Media Literacy Week collaborator 4.2 million online impressions compared to 1.4 million last year MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 8 SPONSORS 2019 Platinum Sponsor Gold Donor/ Founding Sponsor Thank you! We couldn’t achieve our mission without our wonderful and dedicated Staff, Board of Directors and Sponsors. Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsor Associate Sponsors Benefactors MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 9 Financials REVENUES Other 2% Licences 7% Benefactors 11% Sponsorships 17% Contribution agreements Donations 60% 2% EXPENDITURES Amortization Technology 2% 8% Administration 12% Programs 78% MEDIASMARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2019 10 Reaching our audience WEBSITE 1.5 million 500,000 visits Canadians 1.2 million users TWITTER FACEBOOK Over 14,000 Over 8,000 followers followers Over 2 million impressions 11.3 million users reached INSTAGRAM 206,000 YOUTUBE engaged users Over 1,000 300,000 followers video views 115,000 8,000 video views engagements BLOG 61,000 19 readers blog posts E-NEWSLETTER 6,400 subscribers, including: 1,400 key education contacts .
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