How to fight disinformation at home

Words like “fake news” have eroded some of the public’s trust in journalism, making it more important than ever to address the war on the Fourth Estate head on.

That’s why CNPA is making it the center of the big return of its Capital Conference (CapCon 2023), which takes place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in Sacramento with the theme “Rebuilding Trust in an Age of Disinformation.”

We invite all CNPA Members to come and join us at the big event, which will feature top experts in the field.

Expect to hear from former Attorney General William Barr (author of the New York Times Bestseller “One Damn Thing After Another”), the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, Richard Gingras of the Google News Initiative and Oxford Senior Research Fellow Ben Toff of the Trust in News Project, among a slew of other thoughtful voices. It’s an event not to be missed, but spots are filling up quickly.

It marks the triumphant return of this beloved industry conference, which has been on hiatus since the pandemic disrupted our events in 2020. CNPA’s dedicated and innovative staff has worked overtime to make it the best CapCon yet, full of an all-star lineup that pulls from a variety of industries that have played a role in disrupting the news business as we know it.

With more interference expected as former President Donald Trump gears up for his 2024 campaign run, now more than ever it is critical to get the tools needed to best serve our growing digital audiences with nourishing, factual, locally produced news.

Much like “organic” and “artisan” became buzzwords of the food and restaurant industries, we also must find our own way of separating the good work of our newsrooms from the digital clutter that infects social media on a daily basis.

Sadly, readers often cannot tell the difference between the content of a legitimate news source and the biased ramblings of politically or socially motivated websites, so it is up to us to differentiate ourselves with strong reporting and balanced news coverage.

At CapCon, you’ll get tips and tricks from some of California’s most notable authorities, as well as a chance to network and learn from other publishers, be it small weeklies or major dailies.

As Norb Garrett, CEO of Picket Fence Media, said, “Aside from the great list of speakers, CapCon is a great opportunity to meet and share ideas with other publishers. I personally can point to conversations I had with two publishers at the last CapCon that led to real, new revenue. I can only hope some of the ideas I shared with my peers were equally effective.”

I look forward to seeing you there; please come and introduce yourself and let’s talk about the best ways we can help our industry find its way in the “Age of Disinformation.”

CNPA Chairperson Emily Charrier is editor and publisher of Sonoma Media Investments’ Sonoma Index-Tribune and publisher of the Petaluma Argus-Courier.