A survey released Wednesday shows young Quebecers are more attached to conspiracy theories than older ones and are more likely to believe governments are hiding evidence of extraterrestrial contact.
Six in 10 Quebecers aged 18 to 35 believe traditional media manipulates the information they broadcast, according to a survey of more than 1,009 respondents conducted in September.
“This distrust of institutions goes hand in hand with an increasing adherence to conspiracy theories,” comments Christian Bourque, vice president of the Léger company, which conducted the survey.
When asked “Proof of extraterrestrial contact remains hidden from the public,” 37% of 18- to 34-year-olds answered “yes.” And 30% believe governments are “hiding the reality about the harm of vaccines from the public.”
In comparison, 32% of those over 55 believe the first statement and 21% believe the second.
“Alarming”
“It is alarming to see so many Quebecers question the reliability of journalistic information. Traditional media still has a long way to go to regain the trust of the public, especially young people,” comments Patrick White, Professor at UQAM Media School.
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“What strikes me as particularly special about this survey is the generational difference. Young people are increasingly disconnected from traditional media,” complains Normand Landry, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Media Education and Human Rights and professor at TÉLUQ. In his opinion, the news media, which places too much emphasis on the fame of columnists, contributes to this phenomenon by promoting confusion of genres.
Do more in schools
“Distrust of institutions and especially the media is not unique to Quebec. We see many traces of this in France, where we have been trying to promote media education programs in schools since the Bataclan attacks in 2015,” explains one of the speakers, Alain Devalpo, president of the Globe Reporters organization.
For example, his organization proposes transforming the classroom into a newsroom, where editors-in-chief, newsroom managers and reporters are responsible for covering a current event. Projects are currently underway in collaboration with professional journalists in the West Bank and some African countries.
Experts are sensitive to the issue and recommend encouraging reading of newspapers and news media in school. “That, in my opinion, is the key,” says Patrick White, who laments the slowness with which the school system is moving forward on this issue.
He is the organizer of a conference on media and information education taking place today at UQAM.
On the occasion of this international meeting, the survey was commissioned from the Léger company last September.
Highlights
Mind control and 9/11
More than a third (28%) of young people aged 18 to 34 believe that “technologies that enable mind control are used on people without their knowledge,” compared to 18% in other age groups.
A slightly smaller proportion (26%) believe that the attacks of September 11, 2001 “were planned by people other than Islamist terrorists.”
feminism
Do you believe that feminism is “a strategy that allows women to control society”? One in five young people aged 18 to 34 (20%) answers “yes”. For men the proportion is 16%
Global warming
“Global warming does not exist, it is a thesis that is defended primarily by politicians and scientists in order to advance their interests.” 15% of young people answered this question positively. Twice as many as those over 55 (7%)
COVID-19
18% of young people (compared to 10% of those over 55) believe that the spread of coronavirus was “a deliberate attempt by a group of powerful people to take control of the population.”
Stolen elections
Did Donald Trump steal the election in Georgia in 2020? 18% of young Quebecers believe this, compared to just under 6% of those over 55.
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