McCain Institute and Cronkite School launch task force to combat disinformation
The McCain Institute and the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University have announced the launching of a task force focused on defeating disinformation attacks on democracy in the U.S.
According to the institute, technology has facilitated the spread of disinformation which is wreaking havoc on American democracy.
The groups convened a group of experts, members of the media, corporate leaders and policymakers to discuss the problem and make recommendations.
Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse provided opening remarks to the group last month.
The nonpartisan taskforce will convene throughout the year and publish findings and recommendations.
According to the Institute, "Senator McCain’s words and experience oblige the McCain Institute to promote a safe, just, and democratic country where all Americans can thrive."
New Jersey requiring students to learn 'media literacy' to fight 'disinformation'
New Jersey is now requiring all students in grades K-12 to be taught "media literacy" as a means of fighting so-called misinformation.
"Our democracy remains under sustained attack through the proliferation of disinformation that is eroding the role of truth in our political and civic discourse," Gov. Phil Murphy, D., said in a statement. "It is our responsibility to ensure our nation’s future leaders are equipped with the tools necessary to identify fact from fiction."
"K-12 media literacy education will empower future leaders to accurately assess information — essential in preserving our democracy in a time of disinformation," he added in a tweet. More here.
The wife of late soccer journalist Grant Wahl fights disinformation about her husband's death
from NPR’s Juana Summers:
The sudden, unexplained death of a loved one is a nightmare for anyone, but Gounder's pain was instantly compounded. As soon as news of Wahl's death spread,
so too did rumors about what killed her husband. The top theory - that the COVID vaccine was responsible. It wasn't. An autopsy later showed that Grant Wahl died from an aortic aneurysm. Gounder gave interviews, widely shared the results of her husband's autopsy, but the rumors and conspiracies have persisted. Now, she's speaking out again. More here.