Victoria Journalist Releases Book Teaching Youth Media Literacy Skills

A Victoria journalist’s new book addresses the growing challenge of misinformation among young people, offering practical tools to navigate today’s complex media landscape.

Gregor Craigie, a veteran journalist and host of CBC Radio One’s “On the Island,” has drawn from both his professional expertise and personal experience as a father of three teenagers to create “Sticking to the Facts: 10 Ways to Fight Misinformation,” which releases on February 17.

The award-winning journalist, who has spent more than two decades working for major news organizations including the BBC, CBS, and CBC, was motivated to write the book after observing his own children’s news consumption habits.

“It felt like a perfect mix between my professional life as a journalist and my personal life as a dad,” Craigie explained. He became increasingly concerned when noticing his teens absorbing information through social media, often prompting him to ask: “How do you know that that’s true?”

Craigie’s primary concern centers on young people’s lack of critical evaluation skills when consuming online content. “There’s so much that’s out there that’s either outright lies or even mistakes. Or unsubstantiated things or opinion masking themselves as facts,” he said, highlighting the fundamental difference between traditional media outlets with established standards and platforms like YouTube where content faces minimal verification.

The book, published by Orca Book Publishers and illustrated by Bithi Sutradhar, breaks down the complex topic into digestible lessons with colorful visuals. It provides compelling historical examples to demonstrate that misinformation isn’t merely a modern problem but has deep historical roots.

One such example dates back to 1835, when the New York Sun published entirely fabricated articles about lunar life simply to boost circulation. The book also references contemporary instances, including a false article claiming U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez advocated for a “nationwide motorcycle ban” that was shared over 6,000 times on social media.

Among the ten strategies outlined in the book, Craigie emphasizes one critical takeaway: read beyond the headline. “Too many of us in life are so busy that we tend to only look at a headline, or we just hear a sentence or two,” he observed. This habit often leads to heated social media debates based on incomplete information or misunderstandings.

The book isn’t solely targeted at young readers. Craigie hopes it will educate parents as well, noting that teachers have observed instances where “kids are educating their parents about media literacy.”

“I think it’s a great thing for parents and kids to read together,” Craigie added, suggesting the book could serve as a valuable tool for cross-generational learning and discussion about information consumption.

This publication represents Craigie’s first venture into middle-grade non-fiction, though he has previously authored works that were finalists for prestigious literary awards including the Writers’ Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy and the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize.

The timing of “Sticking to the Facts” appears particularly relevant amid growing concerns about misinformation’s impact on public discourse and democratic processes. Media literacy experts have increasingly called for educational resources that help younger generations develop critical thinking skills for digital environments where information sources vary dramatically in reliability and accuracy.

The book’s publication also comes as educational systems worldwide grapple with how to incorporate media literacy into existing curricula, making Craigie’s accessible approach potentially valuable for both classroom and home settings.

“Sticking to the Facts: 10 Ways to Fight Misinformation” will be available through Orca Book Publishers’ website and other book retailers beginning February 17.