Disinformation: Support honest efforts of researchers

Re: “These academics studied falsehoods spread by Trump. Now the GOP wants answers” [June 8, Nation and World]:

Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan has gone in a crooked circle. He claims to defend the First Modification proper of free speech, but he’s primarily denying the free speech of lecturers researching the existence and software of mis- and disinformation. In actual fact, I’d go as far as to say that Jordan’s default is as a defender of lies, propaganda, disinformation and fraud, the very form of “free speech” he claims to despise. He simply doesn’t appear to know the which means of key ideas, like censorship, factual data or free speech itself.

One would hope that an honorable consultant within the U.S. Congress could be much less confused and combative. He needs to be extra supportive of the trustworthy efforts of researchers learning the dangerous and corrupting affect of disinformation and tips on how to counter it, for the betterment of the nation.

Timothy Walsh, Seattle