Media Literacy Week returns October 26–30 with free tools and events nationwide as MediaSmarts marks 30 years with inaugural Digital Media Literacy Awards

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 26, 2026 /CNW/ -- Eighty per cent of Canadians reported encountering online news or information they suspected was misleading, false or inaccurate at least once a month in 2025, according to recent findings from Statistics Canada. Sixty-one per cent also said they were very or extremely concerned about online misinformation.

But Canadians are not powerless when it comes to navigating an increasingly complex information environment — from misleading headlines and viral claims to AI-generated images, audio and deepfakes. MediaSmarts' 2025 research found that digital media literacy programs like Break the Fake can increase people's confidence in verifying online information and reduce their willingness to share misinformation.

That research is helping shape the 21st annual Media Literacy Week, taking place October 26–30, 2026. Organized by MediaSmarts, Canada's centre for digital media literacy, the national campaign will give Canadians of all ages opportunities to strengthen their critical thinking and digital media literacy skills through free resources, classroom lessons, webinars, workshops and events across the country.

To celebrate Media Literacy Week, the CN Tower will be illuminated on the evening of October 28, providing high profile visibility to the national campaign.

This year's Media Literacy Week also marks MediaSmarts' 30th anniversary and will include the organization's inaugural Digital Media Literacy Awards, recognizing Canadians making a difference in how people understand, create and engage with media. Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, will receive the Champion of Digital Media Literacy Award at a special celebration in Ottawa, alongside this year's Educator of the Year Dean Vendramin and Youth Leader Award recipient Chloe Kizito.

"In the 30 years since MediaSmarts began, the ways we find, create and share information have changed enormously," says Kathryn Ann Hill, Executive Director of MediaSmarts. "AI-generated misinformation can make it harder to know what to trust, but media literacy skills really do make a difference. This Media Literacy Week, we want Canadians to know there are practical things we can all do to pause, question what we see and verify information before we share it."

"In today's digital world, misinformation and disinformation can spread in seconds," said the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages. "This Media Literacy Week, and throughout the year, I encourage Canadians to think critically about what they see and share online, check their sources and build the skills they need to navigate the digital world with confidence."

Canadians can take part in Media Literacy Week in many ways: by attending events, webinars and workshops, using free MediaSmarts resources at home with their families, bringing lessons from the Media Literacy Week Teachers' Hub into K–12 classrooms or joining activities hosted by libraries and community organizations across the country.

Media Literacy Week also includes Digital Citizen Day on Wednesday, October 28, an annual awareness day sponsored by TikTok Canada that encourages Canadians to reflect on how their online actions affect themselves and others and what it means to participate positively and responsibly in digital spaces.

MediaSmarts is building on the record-breaking impact of the 2025 campaign, which brought together more than 200 collaborating organizations across Canada. Collaborators organized 60 events, thousands of teachers brought media literacy activities into their classrooms and campaign activities reached approximately 7 million Canadians.

Canadians can visit MediaLiteracyWeek.ca to explore events, classroom lessons, family resources and other ways to participate.

MediaSmarts is Canada's bilingual centre for digital media literacy and home of the house hippo. A registered charity, MediaSmarts has been conducting research, developing resources and advancing digital media literacy since 1996. Its vision is to empower people to engage with all forms of media confidently and critically. Visit MediaSmarts.ca to learn more.

Media Literacy Week is run with the patronage of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO)  and has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

Media Literacy Week is sponsored by Bell, Durham Radio Inc., Google, Meta, TikTok Canada, and YouTube, with support from the Alberta Teachers' Association, l'Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens, the New Brunswick Teachers' Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association , and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation.

SOURCE MediaSmarts