Marty Perlmutter

How’d We Get Here, Again?

A whirl of endless disinformation…60% of Republicans variously committed to insurrection supporters or the Big Lie…endless filter bubbles…”pink slime” in place of local journalism… The wonders do not cease. It didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t caused by the neoliberal conviction that we didn’t need no steenking Fairness Doctrine. It took much more to get …

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Election Officials Are Key

Election officials are not secretarial staffs, they are professionals. We call them “clerks” or “administrators” but the truth is they are profoundly well trained and deeply sophisticated pros who conduct hundreds — even thousands — of tasks in preparing for, conducting, and validating elections. Brenda Cabrera, Fairfax Virginia’s Director of Elections, renders an impressive list …

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Saving Democracy through Local Journalism

The crisis in local journalism — its disappearance — isn’t something brand new; it’s been brewing for a couple of decades, but now it’s in full flood. “News deserts” are being filled by so-called “pink slime” sites. Disinformation is in ascent. Standards of truth and reliable information have been assaulted. How can we rebuild journalism …

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