Journalism and Democracy in Crisis: Combatting the Threats of Mis/Disinformation

Kiera Butler, a senior editor at Mother Jones, covers the proliferation of mis-and disinformation about health, science and education in online spaces. She has broken stories on the QAnon influencers who used anti-vaccine narratives to recruit Facebook moms’ groups; anti-abortion groups’ use of TikTok and Instagram to advance false narratives about health effects of birth control; and the connections and collaborations between white nationalist and anti-vaccine groups on Telegram. Kiera’s work has been featured on National Public Radio, MSNBC, the New York Times, and dozens of other outlets.

Priscilla Enriquez leads the team at the James B. McClatchy Foundation as Chief Executive Officer. With over 20 years in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector, she has curated investments across a wide range of issues that center communities and people seeking better lives for themselves and the next generation. As CEO she provides leadership in strategic philanthropic investments while supporting the bedrock tenets of democracy and advancing equity. Both a servant leader and advocate, Priscilla works to enhance and uphold the foundation’s promise to stand with the people of California’s Central Valley in partnership with her board, staff, and grantee partners.

As a first-generation college graduate, Priscilla holds an A.B. and an M.A. from UC Berkeley. Her sweet spot is leading for change — to transition systems that divide and separate into ones that build and unite. She leads by innovating with a start-up mindset for community and systemic change.

Alexis Madrigal is a journalist in Oakland, California. He's the co-host of KQED’s current affairs show, Forum, and a contributing writer at The Atlantic, where he co-founded The COVID Tracking Project. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Fusion and and a staff writer at Wired.

His new book, The Pacific Circuit, is coming out in March 2025 from MCD x FSG.

He is the proprietor of the Oakland Garden Club, a newsletter for people who like to think about plants.

A civil rights attorney and long-time democracy reform advocate, Jonathan Mehta Stein is the Executive Director of California Common Cause. He started that role in 2020 after spending 10 years on the organization's Board of Directors. Prior to joining California Common Cause as ED, Jonathan was formerly the head of the Voting Rights & Census Program at Asian Law Caucus, a voting rights staff attorney for the ACLU of California, the Chair of the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and a reporter for Mother Jones magazine.

Vincent Pan is Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and a leading voice on issues of racial justice and social change. Founded in 1969 and based in San Francisco, CAA has led pioneering advocacy on a range of issues including immigrant rights, language diversity, economic justice, education equity, and community safety and justice. At CAA, Vincent also helps lead the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality social justice network, serves as Executive Advisor to the national Stop AAPI Hate coalition, co-chairs the board of the Center for Asian American Media, and serves as Vice-Chair of the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative.

Prior to joining CAA in 2006, Vincent worked with the William J. Clinton Foundation in Beijing to launch HIV/AIDS programs in China and before that, he co-founded and led an AmeriCorps youth development program in Washington, D.C.