2021 Smart Talk encore — why is misinformation so prevalent and what to do about it

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Wilfredo Lee / AP Photo

FILE PHOTO: In this Aug. 21, 2018, file photo, a Facebook start page is shown on a smartphone in Surfside, Fla.

All this week, WITF presents encore presentations of Smart Talk programs that focused on the important issues of 2021. We begin the week with a Smart Talk that addressed misinformation.

Fighting online misinformation in the social media age is a constant battle and is often left to the discretion of consumers and users of the platforms. Misinformation and the impact on daily lives is significant, particularly in the tense political climate today.

Joining us on Monday’s Smart Talk to discuss the role of misinformation in our political and  cultural climate are Dannagal Young, Professor of Communication and Political Science at the University of Delaware and Sinan Aral, Professor of Management, Marketing and IT at MIT Sloan School of Management and author of The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health — and How We Must Adapt.

This program originally aired on October 13, 2021.