The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and the North Fork will hold a public information meeting on “How to Confront Misinformation and Build Trust in the 2024 Election” on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at LTV Studios, 75 Industrial Road in Wainscott, ahead of its series of virtual debates for regional offices in October.
The speakers will be Professors Don Waisanen and Sonia Jarvis of Baruch College/CUNY. A panel discussion will be moderated by Andrea Gabor and will include Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreation Center Executive Director Bonnie Cannon and OLA of Eastern Long Island Executive Director Minerva Perez.
This program will explore the role of a trustworthy news media in a democracy, and how to identify and combat mis- and dis-information on the internet, digital platforms, and via AI.
New, original research survey findings will also be presented showing how much “trust in elections” U.S. citizens have in 2024, and what might be done to build civic connections and legitimacy in this environment.
“The first cataclysm in American news media took place nearly 30 years ago when the Federal Communications Commission deregulated the ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers, leading to a massive consolidation of news organizations with large corporations taking over here-to-for smaller, independent outlets,” according to the announcement of the event. “A few years later, the advent of the internet sparked a second convulsion with a flood of free “news” destroying the financial viability of many independent newspapers. In the last 20 years, the U.S. has lost close to 3,000 local newspapers or about one-third of all independent news outlets. The spread of news deserts also has fueled extremism and local divisions, fracturing local communities. Now, the World Wide Web allows both domestic actors and foreign powers to spread misinformation, fake news and propaganda. This is particularly troubling during an election year.”
League of Women Voters volunteers will be on hand to register voters and provide information and answer questions about the upcoming election.
The event will be live at the LTV Studio and available later on their YouTube channel; register to attend at www.ltveh.org.
The League has also scheduled a series of three virtual debates that will be streamed live on SeaTV (Channel 22 in Southampton), for view later on SeaTV’s YouTube channel.
The first debate, for the New York State Assembly District #1 seat held for the past three decades by Fred W. Thiele, Jr., will be held on Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.
With Mr. Thiele’s retirement at the end of the year, Democratic Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni and Republican Shelter Island Town Attorney Stephen Kiely are vying for his seat, which represents Southold, Shelter Island, East Hampton, Southampton and a portion of Brookhaven Town.
A debate for the State Senate District #1 seat held by Republican Anthony Palumbo for the past two terms will be held on Monday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. Former Democratic Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker, from Mt. Sinai, is challenging Mr. Palumbo this election cycle.
Following the State Senate debate, the League hosts a debate for the First Congressional District race at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21.
One-term incumbent Republican Nick LaLota, a Navy veteran and former Suffolk County Board of Elections Commissioner, is being challenged by former CNN political commentator John Avlon.
