Annual Meeting

Dr. Daniela Melo, a lecturer at Boston University Department of Social Sciences and Co-founder and Chair of the Board of The New Bedford Light, is the keynote speaker at the League of Women Voters SouthCoast Annual Meeting at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.

 Three years ago, at the launching of The New Bedford Light, Dr. Melo and its founders had little evidence that this new model for local news could work. But what the founders did know was that the progressive disinvestment in The Standard-Times had left the city without investigative reporting. As a microcosm of nationwide trends, New Bedford was experiencing polarization, low voter turnout, and increased misinformation. In her presentation, Dr. Melo will focus on the causes and potential solutions to these negative trends and whether new local media models can transform them.

Dr. Melo received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Connecticut in Comparative Politics and International Relations. Dr. Melo’s research includes Contentious Politics, the politics of the European Union, and Foreign Policy. She received a Fulbright research scholarship to Portugal in 2010-2011.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, invites discussion on civic and political topics, voter registration, and education. 

For further information please get in touch with Kris Eastman at 508-758-6051