LWV-Downeast hosts a monthly radio program on democracy in cooperation with WERU FM. For this rebroadcast of a show from earlier this year, we will talk about our information ecosystem and how it's contributed to this very divisive moment in American politics: how did it go wrong, can we fix it? Can liberal democracy survive the Internet? What role do mis- and dis-information, social media, media silos, and alternative realities play in fostering extremism? How are these issues playing out right here in real-world Maine? How can we find common ground and share purpose in a democracy when we consume information that promotes false narratives and alternative facts. What remedies are suggested by research?
Special Guests: Ronald Deibert is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. His new book is Reset: Reclaiming the Internet for Civil Society. Andy O'Brien is a freelance journalist for the magazine, Mainer, where he has been reporting on far-right groups in Maine. His writings have been published in Down East, Huffington Post, and Labor Notes. He is also a former Maine state legislator, former managing editor of the Free Press in Rockland, and the current communications director for the Maine AFL-CIO.
This show was pre-recorded; no listener calls will be taken. Comments and questions may be emailed to news@weru.org with Democracy Forum on the subject line.
WMPG 90.9 FM Portland, streaming at wmpg.org
