Information Communication Technology

Some doctors sneak education into their online content to drown out misinformation

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Some doctors sneak education into their online content to drown out misinformation

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

TORONTO - When Dr. Siobhan Deshauer makes online videos, her primary goal is to demystify medicine. Her secondary goal?

"I call it 'smuggling in education,'" said the physician and YouTuber, who boasts nearly a million subscribers on the platform. "You're coming for this mystery and this excitement, but I'm smuggling in some topics that I think are really important and that I'm passionate about."

Some experts say one of the best ways to fight a rising tide of medical misinformation on social media is to drown it out with captivating content backed by science, and Deshauer, an Ontario-based internal medicine and rheumatology specialist, is among a growing cohort of doctors and researchers doing just that.

Take one of her medical mystery videos, for example. In it, Deshauer tells the story of a woman who had lead poisoning. Doctors took ages to figure out what was causing her symptoms, but ultimately realized they were a result of lead in the Ayurvedic supplements she was taking.

Read
Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Some experts say one of the best ways to fight a rising tide of medical misinformation on social media is to drown it out with captivating content backed by science, and Dr. Siobhan Deshauer, an Ontario-based internal medicine and rheumatology specialist, is among a growing cohort of doctors and researchers doing just that. Deshauer's channel on YouTube is shown in a photo illustration made in Toronto, Friday, March 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini

Some experts say one of the best ways to fight a rising tide of medical misinformation on social media is to drown it out with captivating content backed by science, and Dr. Siobhan Deshauer, an Ontario-based internal medicine and rheumatology specialist, is among a growing cohort of doctors and researchers doing just that. Deshauer's channel on YouTube is shown in a photo illustration made in Toronto, Friday, March 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini

Cellphones have messages about learning

Ken Clark 4 minute read Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024

Distractions. I recall, decades ago, two high school lads riveted by the random outcomes of a surreptitious, they thought, game of cards, rather than attuned to my teaching of the Canada Food Guide. Message received — think about how I teach the Canada Food Guide.

Classrooms don’t have to be smartphone-free zones, tech-fluent educators tell province

Maggie Macintosh 5 minute read Preview

Classrooms don’t have to be smartphone-free zones, tech-fluent educators tell province

Maggie Macintosh 5 minute read Friday, Feb. 9, 2024

A group of tech-savvy teachers is calling on the province to create guidelines on cellphone use in schools and offering to help get it done.

The Manitoba Association of Education Technology Leaders has taken a firm stance against introducing a sweeping ban of personal wireless devices in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 buildings.

Manitoba Education has no policy in place. School divisions create their own appropriate use policies, while most buildings allow teachers to make rules for their own classrooms.

Tuxedo’s Laidlaw School, Collège Béliveau in Windsor Park and West Kildonan Collegiate are among Winnipeg facilities that have imposed stricter measures this year.

Read
Friday, Feb. 9, 2024

BROOK JONES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Grade 12 student Amy Klos puts her cell phone in a cell phone storage pouch fastened to the wall while in her pre-calculus classroom at West Kildonan Collegiate in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. West Kildonan Collegiate is one example among a number of schools across school divisions in Winnipeg that are implementing strict cell phone guidelines for the second semester.

BROOK JONES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
                                Grade 12 student Amy Klos puts her cell phone in a cell phone storage pouch fastened to the wall while in her pre-calculus classroom at West Kildonan Collegiate in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. West Kildonan Collegiate is one example among a number of schools across school divisions in Winnipeg that are implementing strict cell phone guidelines for the second semester.

Frustrated educators disconnecting distracted students from devices

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Preview

Frustrated educators disconnecting distracted students from devices

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024

More school leaders across Manitoba are asking students to unplug themselves entirely during lesson times and requesting staff to be role models around positive phone-use.

Tuxedo’s Laidlaw School, Collège Béliveau in Windsor Park and West Kildonan Collegiate are among those that have announced stricter guidelines surrounding personal devices in 2024.

“Ultimately, we want our kids to disconnect with their devices and reconnect with their classmates and teacher,” said Adam Hildebrandt, principal of West Kildonan Collegiate. “We think this really is the best thing for their learning.”

Hildebrandt began his career at the high school in 2004. It was around 2010 when it became commonplace for his students to carry personal devices everywhere they went, and his classroom was no exception.

Read
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024

BROOK JONES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Grade 12 students Calan Duchart, Amy Klos and Rachel Mickall put their cell phones in a cell phone storage pouch fastened to the wall while in their pre-calculus classroom at West Kildonan Collegiate in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. West Kildonan Collegiate is one example among a number of schools across school divisions in Winnipeg that are implementing strict cell phone guidelines for the second semester.

BROOK JONES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
                                Grade 12 students Calan Duchart, Amy Klos and Rachel Mickall put their cell phones in a cell phone storage pouch fastened to the wall while in their pre-calculus classroom at West Kildonan Collegiate in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. West Kildonan Collegiate is one example among a number of schools across school divisions in Winnipeg that are implementing strict cell phone guidelines for the second semester.

Crave introduces ad tiers, including $9.99 plan

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Crave introduces ad tiers, including $9.99 plan

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

TORONTO - Crave is introducing two ad-supported tiers that each shave $5 or $10 off the monthly subscription fee.

Bell Media says its new Crave Basic with Ads costs $9.99/month, while Crave Standard with Ads costs $14.99/month. An unchanged ad-free option remains at $19.99/month, and is renamed Crave Premium Ad-Free.

Viewers can watch most shows and movies, including HBO and Max originals, on the ad-supported plans. About one per cent of titles won't be available due to licensing restrictions.

Ads will be 15 or 30 seconds long, totalling about five minutes per hour, and appear before and during some episodes and films.

Read
Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

The Crave app is seen on a phone in Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. Crave is introducing two ad-supported tiers that each shave $5 or $10 off the monthly subscription fee. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

The Crave app is seen on a phone in Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. Crave is introducing two ad-supported tiers that each shave $5 or $10 off the monthly subscription fee. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Low-cost Temu goes head-to-head with Amazon

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Low-cost Temu goes head-to-head with Amazon

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

It started with a video of a postal worker sorting a mountain of orange packages from Temu.

Rachael D'Amore hadn't heard of the online shopping site, but after watching the video she found good reviews, affordable products and free shipping on most orders — what she called "a unicorn in Canada these days."

"I had to double check the URL to make sure that I wasn't on the U.S. site," she said.

Temu also offered a $5 credit if an order took longer than 12 days to arrive — a quasi-insurance policy that gave D'Amore the confidence to place a $30 order for seven items, including an 89-cent necklace, earrings for $1.78 and hair clips for $3.59.

Read
Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

A person navigates the Temu website on a smartphone in Toronto, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Temu launched in Canada in early February, the same month it aired a Super Bowl ad with the tagline "shop like a billionaire," and offers consumers an alternative to online juggernaut Amazon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini

A person navigates the Temu website on a smartphone in Toronto, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Temu launched in Canada in early February, the same month it aired a Super Bowl ad with the tagline

Study shows ‘striking’ number who believe news misinforms

David Bauder, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Study shows ‘striking’ number who believe news misinforms

David Bauder, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Half of Americans in a recent survey indicated they believe national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public to adopt a particular point of view through their reporting.

The survey, released Wednesday by Gallup and the Knight Foundation, goes beyond others that have shown a low level of trust in the media to the startling point where many believe there is an intent to deceive.

Asked whether they agreed with the statement that national news organizations do not intend to mislead, 50% said they disagreed. Only 25% agreed, the study found.

Similarly, 52% disagreed with a statement that disseminators of national news “care about the best interests of their readers, viewers and listeners,” the study found. It said 23% of respondents believed the journalists were acting in the public's best interests.

Read
Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

FILE - An electronic ticker displays news Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in New York's Times Square. A new survey released Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, shows fully half of Americans indicate they believe national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public to adopt a point of view. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

FILE - An electronic ticker displays news Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in New York's Times Square. A new survey released Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, shows fully half of Americans indicate they believe national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public to adopt a point of view. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

The joke’s on us as social media capitalizes on our base impulses in race to the bottom

Melissa Martin 7 minute read Preview

The joke’s on us as social media capitalizes on our base impulses in race to the bottom

Melissa Martin 7 minute read Friday, Dec. 16, 2022

The most important thing we can teach ourselves, and our children, about how to navigate social media is this: the algorithms want you to be angry. They want you to be angry, because it is good for business.

Read
Friday, Dec. 16, 2022

Conspiracy theories are dangerous even if they don’t affect behaviour

Lara Millman, PhD Student, Philosophy, Dalhousie University, The Conversation 6 minute read Updated: 6:09 PM CDT

This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

___

Author: Lara Millman, PhD Student, Philosophy, Dalhousie University

Much has been made in recent years of politicians like Donald Trump and their use of conspiracy theories. In Canada, a number of conservative politicians have voiced support for conspiracy theories.

Neo-Nazi group members plotted to kill Free Press reporter

5 minute read Preview

Neo-Nazi group members plotted to kill Free Press reporter

5 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022

Disturbing details of a plan to kill a Free Press reporter who had infiltrated a white nationalist hate group were revealed for the first time Wednesday.

Read
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022

U.S Attorney Detention Motion United States District Court for the District of Maryland

A then-18-year-old from New Jersey told the FBI that he and other members of neo-Nazi organization the Base planned to kill reporter Ryan Thorpe.

U.S Attorney Detention Motion United States District Court for the District of Maryland
                                A then-18-year-old from New Jersey told the FBI that he and other members of neo-Nazi organization the Base planned to kill reporter Ryan Thorpe.

Even if games go on, MLB lockout could alienate Gen Z

Jake Seiner, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Even if games go on, MLB lockout could alienate Gen Z

Jake Seiner, The Associated Press 7 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Max Scherzer stars in the last video posted to Major League Baseball’s TikTok account before the league locked out the players Thursday morning.

The clip, viewed over 400,000 times, shows the final out from Scherzer's first no-hitter in 2015 with Washington, followed by teammates dousing the three-time Cy Young Award winner with chocolate syrup. Hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd's “Swang” plays in the background.

“Max Scherzer is ... officially a New York Met!!!” the caption reads, celebrating Scherzer's $130 million deal to pitch in Queens.

It could be the last post featuring a big league player sent to the account’s 4.8 million followers for months, a curveball with real consequences for a sport already concerned about courting young fans.

Read
Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Scherzer pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of Game 5 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in San Francisco. Eight-time All-Star Max Scherzer is nearing a $130 million, three-year contract with the New York Mets, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday, Nov. 29, because the agreement was still being worked on and would be subject to a successful physical.(AP Photo/John Hefti, File)

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Scherzer pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of Game 5 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in San Francisco. Eight-time All-Star Max Scherzer is nearing a $130 million, three-year contract with the New York Mets, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday, Nov. 29, because the agreement was still being worked on and would be subject to a successful physical.(AP Photo/John Hefti, File)

‘Mistake’ leads to Canadian Forces ad on far-right website

Dylan Robertson  5 minute read Preview

‘Mistake’ leads to Canadian Forces ad on far-right website

Dylan Robertson  5 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 6, 2018

OTTAWA — The Canadian Forces have been running a recruitment ad on the American website Breitbart — a digital force in far-right politics that’s among U.S. President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies and one of Canada’s biggest critics.

The military indirectly paid Breitbart, in violation of Ottawa’s advertising rules, but has since pulled its ad off the site.

The ad popped up several times across Breitbart. In one case, it appeared in an article about a Italian mosque, weighing into that country’s Sunday election, which was accompanied by an October 2016 photo showing scores of Muslims praying next to the Colosseum in Rome.

The military took down the ad after the Free Press asked how it was spending taxpayer’s money. But the fact it appeared on a far-right website speaks to the unpredictable nature of online advertising, with Ottawa using a system that provides no idea of exactly where its ads will appear.

Read
Tuesday, Mar. 6, 2018

Screen capture of a Canadian military recruitment ad on Breitbart.com. The military has taken the recruitment ad that appeared on Breitbart, in violation of Ottawa's advertising rules.

Screen capture of a Canadian military recruitment ad on Breitbart.com. The military has taken the recruitment ad that appeared on Breitbart, in violation of Ottawa's advertising rules.

Ad another thing: sounding the alarm about advertising’s ill effects on society

By Jen Zoratti 6 minute read Preview

Ad another thing: sounding the alarm about advertising’s ill effects on society

By Jen Zoratti 6 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013

Jean Kilbourne was an adbuster long before there was anything close to resembling Adbusters.

When the acclaimed feminist scholar, author, filmmaker and media literacy pioneer, who speaks Thursday at 7:30 p.m., at the University of Winnipeg's Convocation Hall, began tearing advertisements out of magazines and posting them on her refrigerator back in 1968, she didn't know she would start a movement, let alone a respected field of study.

At the time, she just wanted to open people's eyes. She assembled the ads she collected into a slideshow presentation that she took to college campuses in the 1970s. She had one goal: tell anyone who would listen about the damaging effect ads were having on women.

"I was the first person to start talking about the image of women in advertising," Kilbourne, 70, recalls. "(The ads) were outrageous and no one was paying attention to them."

Read
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013

Postmedia Getty Images
Kate Moss in an advertisement. Jean Kilbourne has dissected the ways in which ads create impossible ideals that women must spend an incredible amount of time, energy and money chasing.

Postmedia Getty Images
Kate Moss in an advertisement. Jean Kilbourne has dissected the ways in which ads create impossible ideals that women must spend an incredible amount of time, energy and money chasing.