National Expert Visits Sacramento To Educate On How To Spot Fake News

By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff WriterThe disinformation – false information deliberately intended to mislead by intentionally misstating the facts – that former President Donald Trump is spreading about how FEMA responded to hurricane Helene is having real-life consequences, possibly keeping some people from aid in North Carolina.Trump’s campaign has posted fake, AI-generated images of him hanging out with Black Americans – another example of disinformation designed to mislead voters – and spotting& such fakes can be difficult in the current digital media landscape.& To help voters safeguard themselves from the increasing threat of election misinformation and disinformation, media experts and candidates for local offices armed Sacramento voters with ways to spot bad information at the 2024 Election Education Symposium on Oct. 12 at Sacramento High School.The event was tailored for voters of color who are disproportionately affected by misinformation, arming them with strategies that can help them tell fact from fiction. An “overwhelming number” (86%) of Americans get news at least sometimes from digital devices like a smartphone, computer or tablet, said Philip Lewis, senior front page editor at the Huffington Post.Black Americans get 83% of their news at least sometimes from digital devices while 26% read print,...