Fight Fake News and Information Overload in the Age of COVID-19

Our personal and professional lives have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. We’re all trying our best to stay informed, remain physically and mentally healthy, and to live and work in this brave new world. I am not alone in suggesting that staying informed about this pandemic and experiencing this constant barrage of information about COVID-19 through the media, social media, and web has become mentally and physically exhausting. How do you stay informed, prevent information overload, and remain mentally well all at the same time? 

As a law librarian, one of my skill sets is navigating, curating, aggregating, and communicating sources of information and content. In my workplace, the Law Society of Saskatchewan, we are doing our best to guide you towards reliable sources of information about COVID-19 and its impact on your physical and mental health, the practice of law, and the judicial system. 

In this vein, we offer some suggestions that may help you to stay informed: 

1. Fight Fake News:

Misinformation and unsubstantiated stories about COVID-19 are rife. Don’t forget to critically evaluate and assess the content you view. In this infographic, the International Federation of Library Associations suggests you evaluate the source, check the author, consider the supporting sources, and more.

2. Follow These Information Sources to Learn More:

We encourage you to follow these excellent resources for frequent posts and accurate information regarding COVID-19 and the practice of law: 

• Coronavirus Guidance / LexisNexis Practice Advisor

This document provides practical guidance regarding the virus’s impact on Canadian employment law, commercial law, corporate law, and litigation practices.  This material is only available to those with access to LexisNexis Quicklaw.      

• Court and Law Firm Updates and Roundups / Canadian Lawyer Magazine

Canadian Lawyer provides a daily post aggregating updates from Canadian courts and law firms.   

• COVID-19: Emergency Measures Tracker / McCarthy Tétrault

Lawyers at McCarthy Tétrault are monitoring and reporting on all emergency measures being taken by Canada’s Federal and Provincial governments during the pandemic. 

• COVID-19 Legal Materials / WestlawNext

WestlawNext is collecting and curating all case law, decisions, and legislation related to COVID-19.  Scroll to the bottom of the Westlaw Next homepage and select the “COVID-19 Legal Materials” link. 

• COVID-19 Resource Hub / Canadian Bar Association

The CBA resource hub provides legal and justice system updates, a great collection of mental health resources, and a variety of professional development resources you may want to take advantage of during the pandemic.   

• COVID-19 Updates / The Lawyer’s Daily

One of the leading news sources for news about the legal and justice systems during COVID-19, follow The Lawyer’s Daily for multiple posts per day about the coronavirus.  

• Law21 Blog / Jordan Furlong

How is the pandemic driving innovation in the legal sector and the justice system?  Follow Jordan Furlong’s Law21 blog to learn more!

3. Take a Break!

Finally, don’t be afraid to take an “information break” from the news media, social media, or any other sources of information about coronavirus.  This is an overwhelming situation and we are experiencing a global pandemic, after all.   

A version of this tip by Alan Kilpatrick first appeared on the Law Society of Saskatchewan Library’s Legal Sourcery Blog.