The Canadian Digital Media Research Network and the Media Ecosystem Observatory launch new report: “The Canadian Information Ecosystem”
December 14, 2023
The Media Ecosystem Observatory launched its report “The Canadian Information Ecosystem” as part of the Canadian Digital Media Research Network (CDMRN). The report introduces a novel approach to studying the information ecosystem, evaluates the overall health of our online discourse, and provides a 5-year retrospective on attitudes and behaviours as they relate to the Canadian information environment.
The investigation was part of a broad study on the state of the Canadian media ecosystem, using a unique methodology that combines the analysis of social media data with behavioural survey research. The study draws upon four large surveys (totaling 9055 Canadians) and social media posts from over 3000 politically influential individuals and organisations in Canada. Some key findings include:
The number of Canadians relying primarily on social media for political news has increased. These individuals have low trust in traditional media and contribute to an overall dramatic decline in trust in Canadian and international news outlets over the past five years.
Canadians are generally inattentive to politics. Canadians do not regularly consume political news, generally have low (and decreasing) levels of political knowledge, and have poor awareness of important political figures in Canada and the United States.
Social media use is ubiquitous among Canadian politicians, particularly on the Meta platforms. 96% of Canadian federal and provincial politicians have a Facebook page and their content tends to focus on their riding and province.
A small number of Canadian individuals and organisations enjoy a disproportionate share of social influence. For example, on YouTube, among Canadian political content makers the top ten garner 71% of views.
The online discourse among provincial and federal politicians across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram is not highly segregated on partisan lines. Instead, the federalism of Canada is reflected in the information ecosystem, with politicians tending to share similar content as their provincial political community. Ideology is not the primary force shaping the structure of the Canadian information ecosystem. While certain topics of discussion do tend to be associated with some political party families more than others (e.g. left parties such as the NDP tending to focus on health more than any other single topic), the rest of the political spectrum tends to discuss similar issues, with high emphasis on international politics and issues explicitly related to government and governing.
English Canadians are more aware of the political and media environment of the United States than they are of French-speaking Canadian content. They have very low recognition of public figures from French-speaking Canada, even among those who have risen to national prominence. French-speaking Canadians are similarly (un)aware of public figures in English-speaking Canada.
Views of Canadian news on Facebook dropped 90% after the Meta ban went into effect, equivalent to a loss of approximately 5 million views per day from official news outlet pages.
From the large national surveys from 2018 and 2023 as well as targeted surveys during key political moments (the June 2023 by-elections and the 2023 Canadian wildfire season), the report is able to speak to trends and to how information events shapes behaviours and attitudes.
Visit the Media Ecosystem Observatory to read the full report.
