New campaign highlights why #EvidenceMatters now more than ever and equips public with skills for today's information landscape

OTTAWA, ON, March 8, 2023 /CNW/ - Evidence for Democracy (E4D) has launched Evidence Matters, a campaign to empower the public to navigate evidence in everyday life. During this month-long campaign, E4D aims to generate public conversations with adults and youth about the important role that evidence plays in a democracy.

"Making well-informed decisions is important in every aspect of life - from what we buy to who we vote for - and the key ingredient there is having access to good evidence," said Dr. Vanessa Sung, E4D's Interim Executive Director. "But today's complicated information landscape makes it increasingly difficult to know what evidence is reliable."

The Evidence Matter campaign centers around two resources that seek to empower individuals to effectively use evidence to inform their decisions and to hold individuals and organizations accountable for the claims they make.

In A Guide to Understanding Evidence, readers learn how to think critically about everyday claims, from social media ads to political statements. In A Guide to Asking for Evidence, readers learn how to ask for evidence from different sources, including organizations, journalists, and elected representatives. E4D is also hosting virtual events throughout March, featuring experts from Let's Talk Science, CIVIX Canada, Global Commission on Evidence, Samara Centre for Democracy, Science Up First, and award-winning journalists. The campaign will culminate in E4D's first ever Evidence Day on March 29, featuring a conversation with Canada's Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer.

Multiple approaches are needed to combat mis- and disinformation, including preventative ones that center information and science literacy. Providing the public with tools to think critically about information they encounter and discern its reliability can improve capacity for informed decision-making and civic engagement.

"We're excited to share our #EvidenceMatters campaign with Canadians," said Dr. Caitlin Fowler, Senior Research Associate at E4D. "We hope this campaign sparks nation-wide discussions and fosters a more informed and engaged public, one that demands evidence and accountability from those in positions of influence and power."

Campaign information can be found at EvidenceMattersToMe.ca. Join E4D for the first Evidence Matters webinar on March 8 here.

Evidence for Democracy is the leading, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization promoting the transparent use of evidence in government decision-making in Canada. https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/en

SOURCE Evidence for Democracy

Caitlin Fowler, Senior Research Associate, Evidence for Democracy, [email protected], Phone: [phone]