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| Don Beyer |
Congressman Don Beyer has introduced a bill to support online literacy and educate Americans on how to spot disinformation and misinformation.
The Educating Against Misinformation and Disinformation Act is inspired by a program in Finland that teaches students from K-12 to identify propaganda from neighboring Russia.
The bill would establish a national commission to analyze the status of education and mis/disinformation, report how it is spread and establish a grant program to improve America’s resilience to fake news.
The Dept. of Education would report about the commission’s effectiveness three years after the bill is signed into law.
The Virginia Democrat said Russia’s misinformation campaign regarding the invasion of Ukraine shines a bright light on America’s need to defend itself against the threat posed by these malign influence operations.
“We must do more to build up our public defense to meet the needs of the present era of information warfare,” he said in introducing the bill on March 8.
Adam Shapiro, who helped develop FGS Global’s digital strategy, has joined Reevemark as its digital head.
Avika Dua, who was digital director for New York governor Kathy Hochul, has joined SKDK as a VP to work on both political and corporate campaigns.
Maxwell Nunes, who was director of paid media for South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, has joined SKDK as executive VP.
Erin Gentry, one-time US president of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, has joined digital marketing shop Acronym as COO.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has agreed to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23 to testify on the company’s consumer privacy and data security practices, as well as its ties with China's government.
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Mar. 10, 2022, by Joe Honick
The very fact of the suggested need for such "protection" is disastrous on its face. Among other things, it would empower the government to tell us how to protect ourselves and our children and provide some regulations to be sure.
I'm certain Mr. Beyer speaks with sincerity, but what would enforcement look like? Even more concerning, imagine for even a moment what Congressional hearings would be. Russia's disinformation is serious, but, then so is the crap issued forth by FOX with Rupe Murdoch financed millionaires of little talent suggesting we are on the wrong side blasting away at Putin and Company.
Fact: there is no assured method to protect kids and grownups from lies, liars and other damaging themes, words and statements. We should have learned that from the McCarthy era and the cheered rhetoric of extremely popular Lindbergh and his mass of supporters.
There is, however minimal in nature, a kind of step some of us may have been fortunate to experience in school: how to think instead of what to think...and how to question all at even the most tenderest of ages. This practical approach has one huge drawback: Extremists of liberal slant and extremists of the fascist right would resent it and put out still more to fog the intellect of kids and the alleged grownups.
It is at least worth a try.