Canadian Government Executive - Volume 27 - Issue 03

GOVERNING DIGITALLY briefings (often with additional media events by regional officials, especially within and around the Greater Toronto Area). While the reasoning for Ontario’s COVID struggles is more complex than frag- mented government messaging, journalistic criticism and public frus- tration have been notably higher here than in BC. The unified BC example is tied to another key feature of the COVID media landscape, namely the predominance of television and radio. Canadian surveys reveal a strong reliance on traditional media (versus social media) and a high correlation between news consumption and intentions to be vaccinated, implying trust in government messaging and scientific advice. One such survey undertaken by Wunderman Thompson found that just 12 percent of Canadians have relied ex- clusively on online sources for information, with a notable increase, across all age cohorts, in news consumption through traditional me- dia channels. Such trends are somewhat surprising given the fear that misinfor- mation driven by social media would potentially overwhelm main- stream media and erode public confidence: the WHO has raised con- cerns about an ‘infodemic’ and there are plenty of conspiracies online. Yet with some exceptions, what we have mainly relied upon in Canada is a traditional media apparatus rooted in scientific expertise – closely aligned with political messaging and incumbent politicians (who have thus far benefitted electorally). By contrast, the US cleavage between former President Trump and federal medical officials (notably Antho- ny Fauci) greatly complicated initial COVID responses, at least until the Biden Administration’s own deference to science and an acceler- ated vaccine rollout. Despite the prominence of traditional media thus far, however, there are two important questions that will shape political debate, societal resilience, and collective recovery efforts: first, can governments miti- gate the potential threats stemming from even a minority social media presence driven by nefarious intentions; and secondly, are the virtues of traditional media and government communications sufficient not only for immediate public health responses but also as a basis for col- lective learning and innovative governance going forward? The first question portends a new world order far less orderly. As hostile actors seed COVID misinformation and wider discontent via social media platforms, new public safety concerns arise. In the US, for example, the Head of the Office of the Director of National Intel- ligence, Avril Haines pointed to COVID-19 as a driver of a new and ‘looming disequilibrium between existing and future challenges’. In Canada, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Par- liamentarians is similarly examining new security threats tied to the ongoing pandemic. With regards to the second question – and societal adaptation, there is a significant risk that traditional media and government information structures may stunt community outreach and delib- eration, especially at the local level (see April Lindgren’s insightful commentary in IRPP”s Policy Options entitled, ‘Local News is Being Decimated during one its most important moments’). Research by the Samara Centre for Democracy on the limited role of Provincial legislatures during the pandemic further underscores this risk. In sum, how we learn to live with COVID depends greatly upon our evolving media universe, and how governments both commu- nicate and engage with the public. Across both realms, the impor- tance of digital platforms and open and inclusive dialogue cannot be under-estimated. Jeffrey Roy is a professor in the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University (roy@dal.ca ). May/June 2021 // Canadian Government Executive / 25 Canadian surveys reveal a strong reliance on traditional media (versus social media) and a high correlation between news consumption and intentions to be vaccinated, implying trust in government messaging and scientific advice.