New civic media platform launches in Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Social media has facilitated the spread of misinformation, eroding trust in democratic institutions and making it difficult for citizens to make informed decisions.This is the view of William Steele, CEO of Represent, a new civic media platform that has just launched in Brownsville. He believes his company can counter the misinformation by connecting citizens more effectively to those who represent them in elected office.Steele said he and the two cofounders of Represent have designed a social media platform to “effectively connect citizens with political candidates and elected officials - at every scale of government.”Along with Steele, the other co-founders of Represent are Jorge Valenzuela, the CTO, and and Jack Sawyer, the COO. “Represent is a civic media platform that empowers citizens to unite their voices to ensure their collective needs are understood and addressed by their representatives with accountability in our democracy,” Steele told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.Represent was incubated within the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization in Brownsville. The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation recently hosted a launch party there for the startup.“Represent is a revolutionary social media platform committed to enhancing democracy by enabling more interactive, responsive, and transparent political engagement. This unique platform builds a bridge between citizens, political candidates, and officials at every level of government,” said Nathan Burkhart, director of business development at BCIC.Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service's website.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.