Former City Councillor, City Leaders launch Salem 4 All – to fact check and counter local misinformation in Salem
SALEM – Former City Councillor and Congressional Candidate, Lisa Peterson, along with a diverse, independent Advisory Board of local thought leaders and trusted experts recently launched Salem 4 All Independent Expenditure PAC, designed to stop misinformation in its tracks, provide facts, and correct the record whenever necessary.
“We all know that misinformation has become the connecting thread through many of the issues of our time,” said Peterson. “This has become a serious problem at the national level. While that can feel overwhelming, we can start right here at home – right here in Salem. We can turn to our local experts – our trusted neighbors and friends – to correct the record and clear up any confusion, so that we can proceed forward as a community, together. Our opinions and conclusions may vary, but the facts never will.”
“I love Salem most because of the people, the community,” said Rosario Ubiera-Minaya, Salem resident, proud parent, and Executive Director of Amplify Latinx. “I especially appreciate how we come together for what’s right no matter our backgrounds and perspectives.”
The team behind Salem 4 All is hoping that the work of the organization will inspire exactly that spirit of community togetherness, and create opportunities for more productive conversations.
“It is hard to find anyone these days who is not experiencing the heartbreak of strained relationships and friendships, brought on by divisive, false claims and misleading statements in the political sphere,” Peterson said. “We have an opportunity, and an obligation, to work together as a community to set the record straight when such claims and rumors arise here in Salem.”
The stated mission of Salem 4 All is “To ensure that Salem continues to be a dynamic, vibrant, welcoming place for everyone to live, work, raise a family, and leave our legacies. To ensure that our city and its leaders continue Salem’s four centuries of being the inclusive, innovative, and inspiring hub of the North Shore. To educate and elevate tough conversations about the community that we are, and hope to be, by ensuring that we build and maintain a political landscape based on facts.”
“Salem is truly an amazing place to live,” said Salem resident, Cyber Security Engineer, Veteran of the Navy, and new dad, James Davis. “It’s great to be a part of a community that values diversity, has an eye on the future, and makes it a priority to learn from its past.”
The organization, just as Salem’s history, wants to maintain that foundation too, but while looking ahead.
“We stand on the strong shoulders of those who have built Salem throughout our shared history, and we have all made it what it is today. Our future is ahead – not behind us. We are not perfect, and that is exactly why we must work hard to move forward as a community, together.” said Peterson, “We are a diverse city full of interesting people from all sorts of backgrounds. Our opinions, values, and goals may vary, but we all have the same set of facts.”
The launch of Salem 4 All comes as this year’s municipal elections are heating up. The primary goal of Salem 4 All is to turn to local trusted experts wherever misinformation surfaces. Information about the trusted experts on the organization’s advisory board can be found here.
Residents of Salem are encouraged to visit the newly launched Salem 4 All website, www.salem4all.com, where there are opportunities to get involved in the efforts of the organization, to submit a claim to be fact-checked, or to financially support the effort.
[From a News Release]
