Soledad O'Brien Among Witnesses for Disinformation Hearing

By John Eggerton
published

House to look at traditional media's role in promoting extremism

Soledad O'Brien
Soledad O'Brien is among the witnesses confirmed to testify during the House Energy & Commerce Committee's hearing on disinformation. (Image credit: Hearst TV)

The House Energy & Commerce Committee has lined up at least three witnesses for its hearing next week titled "Traditional Media’s Role in Promoting Disinformation and Extremism."

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Confirmed to testify are Soledad O'Brien, anchor of Matter of Fact and CEO, Soledad O'Brien Productions; Emily Bell, director, Tow Center for Digital Media, Columbia University; and Kristin Urquiza, co-founder, Marked by COVID.

“The prolonged severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the attack on our Capitol on January 6 have driven home a frightening reality: the spread of disinformation and extremism by traditional news media presents a tangible and destabilizing threat,” said House E&C Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle 9D-PA.) in announcing the Feb. 24 hearing.

The hearing will be remote via Cisco Webex.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.