Univision Contigo Arizona and Corazón Latino to hold an Arizona town hall on combating disinformation in Latino communities.

Disinformation is a disease. Fact-based news is the vaccine.

(PHOENIX, AZ) On October 15, Univision Arizona and Corazón Latino will host a town hall and panel discussion on the impact of disinformation on Latinos. The program is sponsored by Front Page Live, Copper Courier, and Climate Power.

The Town Hall will:

Inspire Latino communities in the U.S to be more engaged in spotting and fighting back against misinformation and disinformation
Educate communities about disinformation and how to avoid falling victim to it
Unite diverse Latino communities around a common goal of protecting democracy

The program will air on Univision Arizona at 4 PM (MST). The conversation will continue on Univision Arizona’s Facebook Live page at 4:30 PM (MST).

Panelists will include Jaime Longoria Castillo, Disinfo Defense League, Evia Diaz, Editorial Page Editor of Arizona Republic/ La Voz, and Felipe Benítez, Executive Director & Founder of Corazon Latino.

"Latinos were the second-largest voting bloc in the 2020 presidential election for the first time. With disinformation ravaging Latino communities, it's time to stop admiring the problem and work on figuring out how to combat this scourge quickly," said Felipe Benítez, Executive Director, Corazón Latino.

According to the research group Equis Lab, nearly 70 percent of these voters get political information from social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.

"We cannot abandon millions of hearts and minds to weaponized disinformation. The time has come for funders, decision-makers, and even corporations to spend more money and resources on programs that bridge echo chambers and bring all of us, black, white or brown, closer together,” remarked Stacy Whittle, co-founder, Front Page Live and A Block of Love

Latinos are underserved by fact-checkers and mainstream media, creating large voids in the disinformation space. The panelists will discuss tools that will help audiences vet what they see online and in their newsfeeds, with the goal being to promote and fund trusted voices, like Copper Courier, that can break through the noise and gain the trust of Latinos who have been negatively impacted by fake news.

"We are excited to be a sponsor of Univision Arizona and Corazón Latino town hall.”, said Tara McGowan, founder and publisher of Courier Newsroom. “We know that Latino communities across Arizona are disproportionately reached and affected by the rapid spread of disinformation and misinformation online, and that education, and increased access to good, factual information are the best antidotes. Copper Courier — and the whole COURIER network — is committed to keeping communities well informed and fostering civic participation through local, factual, community-based news.

Key takeaways from the panel include defining disinformation and how communities can fight against it. Viewers will learn more about the organizations on the front lines working to fight back against the disease of fake news and how to verify the information.

"We know that fact-based information is the only way to show our community how extreme weather driven by climate change is impacting their lives on a daily basis, and debunk the lies circulating about climate, clean energy, and the economy. It will take all of us working together to ensure our communities are safe, secure, and prosperous, “ remarked Antonieta Cádiz, Managing Director, Latino Engagement, Climate Power.

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Corazón Latino is a national non-profit organization that seeks to generate social, environmental, and conservation initiatives that foster natural resource stewardship. Corazón Latino mobilizes the passion, love, unity, solidarity, and resources of individuals, communities, organizations, and government entities to advance the common good.

Visit us at www.corazonlatino.us.