Federal government can’t do much to fight fake news: Canadian Heritage documents
OTTAWA — The federal government doesn’t believe it can do much on its own to stem the growing tide of fake news in Canada, according to briefing notes prepared by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The documents, obtained by The Canadian Press through an access-to-information request, highlight that even though the government recognizes that fake news could threaten Canada’s democratic institutions at a time when traditional news outlets are facing cutbacks and financial challenges, there’s not much they can do to stop it.
The government’s inability to decide for Canadians what should and shouldn’t be considered fake news is one reason it can’t take direct action, according to the notes, prepared in November by deputy heritage minister Graham Flack.
Even if the government did attempt to publicly identify fake news stories, Flack said it could backfire, making readers more convinced the stories are true and increasing the likelihood they’d share the stories.