Champlain Library Hosts Workshop on Surviving Misinformation

In an effort to combat the growing challenge of misinformation in today’s digital age, the Champlain Library will host a public discussion next month aimed at helping local residents navigate the increasingly complicated media environment.

“Surviving Misinformation,” a presentation led by local journalist Philip Oddi, will take place on Wednesday, February 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Creating Centre in Vankleek Hill. The event comes at a critical time when distinguishing reliable information from falsehoods has become more difficult for many consumers.

The proliferation of news sources across television, online platforms, and social media has created an environment where information—both accurate and misleading—flows constantly. Recent studies from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism indicate that public trust in media continues to decline globally, with only 42% of people reporting they trust most news most of the time.

Adding to this challenge is the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence technologies. AI tools can now generate convincing text, manipulate images, and even create realistic videos, blurring the line between authentic and fabricated content. This technological evolution has made it increasingly difficult for the average person to discern fact from fiction.

“The democratization of information has brought tremendous benefits, but it’s also created an environment where misinformation can spread at unprecedented speeds,” explained Champlain Library director Lynda Poyser in a statement about the upcoming event. “We believe our community needs practical tools to navigate this landscape.”

Oddi’s presentation will delve into the mechanics of how false information circulates and why it can be particularly persuasive. More importantly, he will offer attendees concrete strategies for evaluating source credibility, fact-checking techniques, and developing critical thinking skills that can be applied to everyday media consumption.

The timing of this event coincides with growing concerns about information integrity ahead of several major elections worldwide in 2024. Media literacy experts have warned that election periods typically see spikes in targeted misinformation campaigns designed to influence voters and undermine democratic processes.

Dr. Claire Wardle, co-founder of the Information Futures Lab at Brown University, has described the current media environment as “the perfect storm” where emotional content, algorithmic amplification, and sophisticated manipulation techniques combine to make misinformation particularly dangerous.

The Champlain Library’s initiative reflects a broader trend among public institutions stepping up to address information literacy. Libraries across North America have increasingly positioned themselves as trusted spaces for media education, with similar programs appearing in communities from Vancouver to Halifax.

For Vankleek Hill, a community of approximately 2,000 residents in Eastern Ontario, the event represents an important opportunity for residents to develop skills essential for civic participation in the digital age.

The presentation is designed to be accessible to attendees regardless of technical knowledge or educational background. Organizers emphasize that the strategies discussed will be practical and immediately applicable to everyday situations, from scrolling through social media feeds to consuming news coverage of current events.

While the event is free and open to the public, the library notes that space is limited at the Creating Centre venue. Interested community members are encouraged to reserve a spot in advance either online through the library’s website (bc-cl.ca) or by calling 613-678-2216. Donations, while not required, will be accepted to support future community programming.

As media ecosystems continue to evolve and information sources multiply, initiatives like this underscore the growing recognition that media literacy is becoming as essential as traditional literacy in the 21st century.