Emerson T. Brooking, a national expert on identifying and calling out dangerous disinformation on digital media, will address the Laguna Beach Democratic Club on Zoom Wednesday, March 3, at 7:00 p.m. “All in the community are welcome to register for this free meeting, which addresses a critical issue in retaining our democracy and addressing domestic terrorism,” said Club President Gwen McNallan.
Brooking has written widely on the vulnerability of elections to foreign interference, the relationship of disinformation campaigns to actual war and other conflicts, propaganda campaigns and other matters relating to democracy and digital security.
He is a Resident Senior Fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRL) of the Atlantic Council, a non-governmental organization think-tank that has studied pressing issues in every region of the world. Its recent report is a timeline on the online campaign that led to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
As part of DFRL, Brooking is involved in Identifying, exposing and explaining disinformation when it occurs in the digital space. Brooking’s first book, “Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media,” co-authored with P.W. Singer, received positive recognition from both the New York Times and Amazon. The book’s success has made him a leading cyber warfare commentator.
He will be introduced by Laguna Beach resident and Atlantic Council colleague, Stephanie Wander, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow.
“Promoting objective truth is a foundation of government. It’s necessary for protecting democratic institutions from those who wish to undermine them in the digital universe,” Brooking said. “We have created a system for the study of disinformation, exposing falsehoods and fake news and documenting human rights abuses. It’s essential for retaining trust in democracy in our digital age.”
Atlantic Council’s in-depth analyses and reports cover a wide range of environmental, climate, water, conflict and democracy matters, working with allies and partners across all disciplines. Its DFRL is building a hub of digital forensic analysts who will track events in governance, technology, security, a virtual network of #Digital Sherlocks.”
The Laguna Beach Democratic Club is entering its 75th year of uninterrupted engagement supporting Democratic candidates, causes, and values. It welcomes the community to its free monthly informational meetings.
For more information about the Laguna Beach Democratic Club, or to register for the March 3 meeting, visit thelbdems.com.
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