Source: ReclaimTheNet.org
There’s gathering contention over a newly-introduced California law that appears to be timed with the kick-off of presidential campaigns. The law, Assembly Bill 873, is touted by its supporters as a tool to help students differentiate between accurate, impartial information and opinionated “misinformation.” However, critics see it as yet another ploy by the state to undermine and mute non-mainstream media channels in the minds of young children.
Santa Clara University ed-tech professor, Pedro Hernandez-Ramos, voiced his views on the topic, saying, as reported by the Washington Times. “Legislation became necessary at the state level when the federal government didn’t take action.” He further accuses President Trump of manipulating information to serve his own interests and causing harm to others.
In contrast, Williamson M. Evers, an education policy expert at the libertarian Independent Institute in Oakland, observed that the push for control over disseminated information is not limited to one political side. As a former assistant secretary of education in the George W. Bush administration, he argues that misinformation has historically stemmed from all political spectrums, including leftist, rightist, and centrists. He voices concern that too many educators hold the incorrect presumption that misinformation is exclusively right-wing….