Ellsworth American covers ‘fake news’ discussion
The Ellsworth American reported on a public conversation on the topic of fake news hosted by the League of Women Voters-Downeast. The discussion, which was held in Ellsworth, featured a panel of guests including Josh Roiland, an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Maine; Earl Brechlin, author and editor of Mount Desert Islander; and Stephen Fay, managing editor of The Ellsworth American, according to the article. “What we have is not a journalism problem, but an education problem,” Roiland said of the increase in fake news. After an audience member asked about balanced reporting, Roiland said rather than focusing on the idea of balance, he is more interested in seeing reporting that is accurate, factual and fair. He said the idea of balance can sometimes lead to false equivalency, which is a problem, the article states.