Digital Politics With Karen Jagoda

Matt Krayton, Founder of Publitics, shines a light on the need for a management structure in political campaigns as much as in a business. Starting from the digital perspective, Matt has developed the InfluenceIQ approach, a unified framework to break down silos for making better campaign decisions. We talk about: Mechanisms for making decisions to execute on strategy Preparing for rapid response and when to do nothing Targeting voters across platforms and where to allocate resources Value of social listening for developing messages How to combat misinformation and disinformation and the need for third-party validation to push back Fighting disengagement of voters #Publitics #PoliticalCampaigns #Voters #RapidResponse #Election2024 Publitics.com  

Brian Hansbury, part of the leadership team at The Media and Democracy Project, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to shine a light on the role of local journalists in maintaining a strong democracy. Advocating for public policy solutions that benefit local communities and support diverse opinions, this group is surgically raising awareness about the consequences of lies from broadcasters and offering ways for citizens to have their voices heard. Deepak and Brian talk about: How citizens can take on sources of disinformation and those normalizing bad actors Role of the FCC in restricting misconduct and news distortion by companies with a broadcast license like FOX Corporation  News and information is a public good and needs to be supported because a common set of facts is necessary to solve problems #MediaandDemocracyProject #TheDemLabs #GrassrootsOrganizing #Organizing #FCC #LocalJournalism #CitizenActivism #Activism  The Media and Democracy Project TheDemLabs.org

Alexis Posey, Chief Campaign Officer at The Center for Cultural Power and Political Director of the Cultural Engagement Lab, talks with Deepak Puri of The Democracy Labs about how narratives impact voter opinions. The Cultural Engagement Lab commissions a network of artists and creative people from underserved communities to use their storytelling skills to support advocates, candidates, and civic engagement efforts. All activities aim to bridge the gap between cultural and political organizing to reach people of all ages. Deepak and Alexis talk about: How experienced artists are creating more compelling campaign messages Integrating a cultural strategy into campaigns to drive social justice How to engage a multi-cultural coalition Understanding communities at the local level needed to tell compelling narratives Influencing policy through creative visual and audio depictions of the story to engage voters in the issue @CulturalEngagement #CulturalEngagementLab #TheDemLabs #CulturalPower #Organizing #Cultural

Dr. Joe Tucker, CEO of Enveric Biosciences, shines a light on the challenges of those working with psychedelic therapies to inform legislators about the need for regulation to gain acceptance for the use of these molecules for medicinal purposes. In this era of increasing mental health awareness and neurodegenerative diseases, research on the unique characteristics of hallucinogenic and non-hallucinogenic drugs shows the potential to meet unmet medical needs effectively. We talk about: The greatest need for psilocybin-based therapies How drug developers are making psychedelic therapies that are safer and more accessible Why these therapies need to be regulated What elected officials can do to encourage more research #Enveric #PsilocybinBasedTherapies #Psilocybin #PsychedelicTherapies #Psychedelics  Enveric.com

Andrea Miller, Center for Common Ground joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to highlight the results of the recent election in Virginia and the impact of early voting on the outcome. As seen around the country, even school board races were contentious. Deepak and Andrea talk about: The variations in the Virginia election results in this diverse state The value of political television ads Voter suppression tactics Postcarding campaigns Plans for 2024 @CTR4CMNGround #VAElection #EarlyVoting #GOTV @TheDemLabs CenterforCommonGround.org TheDemLabs.org

Edward Erikson, Founder and President of Erikson Communication Group, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the possibilities of finding common interests and ways to unite local communities.  As a political consultant, Edward emphasizes the value of snowball organizing to find additional supporters and the need to keep testing new methods to reach voters. Deepak and Edward talk about: Finding common ground with voters in this partisan environment Role of social media and local media to educate about issues Mistakes candidates make in telling their story Rapid response and when not to respond Challenges for first-time candidates  #EriksonGroup @TheDemLabs #Voters #VoterEngagement #Organizing #RapidResponse #Childcare #WorkForce EriksonGroup.com TheDemLabs.org

Josh Justice, CEO of Peerly, has been working on an AI tool for managing and responding to the volume of text messages exchanged using the Peerly peer-to-peer texting platform. Now widely available, AMP {AI} enhances the value of voter engagement and provides rich data that reveals sentiment and real-time interest. We talk about: The changing nature of voter engagement Optimizing voter targeting based on responses to text messages The shift from generic campaign messages to personalized messaging Managing follow-ups to requests and opt-outs How AI changes the role of volunteers and campaign staffers #Peerly #AI #AMPAI #P2PTexting #P2P #VoterEngagement #VoterSegmentation #VoterOutreach Peerly.com Peerly.com/amp-ai

Molly Rima Hoopes, Senior Political Account Executive, Division D at VoterX, is working in the expanding arena where targeting and media offer new options for finding and persuading voters. Though traditional media buyers are still buying linear TV ads, cross-screen reach and targeting opportunities offer incremental reach for campaigns to find cord-cutters, deliver a call to action to specific audiences, and supply metrics about engagement for building relationships.   We talk about: Cross-screen reach and need for appropriate creative for each viewing experience Programmatic social display ad buying on social media to reach beyond the base Rich media formats that have been developed to increase voter engagement Targeting opportunities to reach new and low-propensity voters How Influencer marketing is being used in political campaigns #VoterX #PoliticalAds #DigitalAds #Fundraising #Organizing #VoterPersuasion #VoterEngagement #PoliticalCampaigns #Election2024 VoterX.com

Gina Keller, Co-Founder of Distill Social, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to highlight how social media is used for grassroots activities in Michigan to drive voter awareness, voter registration, and turnout. Gina shares insights about using TikTok to offer something as simple as a sticker to raise interest and enthusiasm.  Deepak and Gina talk about: Building emotional connections with voters How content is shared on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media sites Turning words into visuals Multi-layered approach including online ads and organic content is needed to talk to those beyond the base Improving the chance of content to go viral  Organizing online versus walking the neighborhood #DistillSocial #Organizing #TikTokforOrganizing #RelationalOrganizing #OnlineAdvertising #PoliticalAds #Election2024 @TheDemLabs DistillSocial.com TheDemLabs.org  

Richard Rose and Raymond McClendon Communities United for Justice join Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to review relational organizing using local leaders to build awareness about candidates and ballot initiatives. The topic is how grassroots organizers are using digital and traditional tools to build robust networks of organizations targeting specific voters to get out the vote. Richard and Raymond have started in Georgia, moving from there to demonstrate the power of collaboration to win elections. Deepak. Richard and Raymond talk about: Competition to get voters excited about voting Voter mobilization, particularly of younger voters Fighting disinformation and misinformation about candidates and issues Using social media and text to build relationships with voters #Cu4Justice @TheDemLabs #GOTV #Organizing #VoterTurnout #GrassrootsOrganizing #Mobilization  Cu4Justice.com  TheDemLabs.org

Matthew Hildreth, Executive Director of Rural Organizing, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to identify the elements of rural communities often missed by candidates in their search for voters. With a background in broadcasting and local engagement, Matthew points out the need for more funding for organizing in rural areas and leadership development at the local level. Deepak and Matthew talk about: Growing the Democratic brand in rural communities Organizing in rural areas What campaigns do not understand about rural voters Civic infrastructure in rural areas The good and the bad of local media #RuralOrganizing #RuralVoters #Organizing #Fundraising #Election2024 @TheDemLabs RuralOrganizing.org TheDemLabs.org

Rachel Levy, candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates in the November 2023 election, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to provide a view from the front lines of running for office in a primarily rural, newly drawn district. Rachel is an activist, teacher, mom, wife, and candidate with a strong sense of the need for civic engagement to fight extremism.  Deepak and Rachel talk about: Diversity in rural communities Techniques that work for outreach and canvasing in a mostly rural conservative district Issues most important to rural and small-town voters Encouraging civic engagement Driving GOTV #RachelForDelegate #VA59thDistrict #VAElection2023 #GOTV RachelforDelegate.org TheDemLabs.org

Michael Kaiser is the President and CEO of Defending Digital Campaigns, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization working with Federal campaigns to secure their organizations and staff against cybercrime. DDC is providing free and low-cost security tools not counted as a campaign contribution with special permission by the FEC because unsafe political campaign practices are seen as a national security threat. We talk about Most significant cyber threats to political campaigns What cyber bad actors are trying to accomplish Security tools that DDC is making available to campaigns, staffers, candidates and their family members Focusing on what might happen, not what could happen Expanding this model to state and local races #DefendingDigitalCampaigns #DDC #2024Elections #PoliticalCampaigns #AI #Deepfakes #Disinformation #Misinformation #Cybersecurity #CampaignTech DefendCampaigns.org  

Holli Holliday, lawyer and President of Sisters Lead Sisters Vote, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to shine a light on the obstacles that are part of the system that keep first-time candidates from succeeding. While candidates supported by the established parties are told about access to voter lists and committee support, newcomers are often not aware of the resources that are available for fundraising and organizing. Deepak and Holli talk about Paths to leadership development Overcoming the unknowns for women thinking about running for office Why leaders need to show up and not just rely on grassroots supporters Identifying and amplifying community problems using visualization tools and maps Examples of Black women leaders The power of collective thought to bring about change #SistersLeadSistersVote #PoliticalCampaigns #WomenCandidates #BlackWomenLeaders #Leadership @TheDemLabs @Hollileshae SistersLeadSistersVote.org TheDemLabs.org

Annabel Roubinowitz, a high school senior living in San Francisco, surveyed her Gen-Z cohorts to find out what issues they are concerned about and why they do or do not vote. While young people seem excited about hot-button issues like reproductive rights and gun control, they are not registering to vote or turning out to vote in expected numbers. Annabel's research sheds some light on how candidates can tap into this rage and enthusiasm to engage more Gen-Z to vote. We talk about: What turns Gen-Z off about voting What issues are relevant to Gen-Z post-COVID  Advancing from online activism to voting Advice for candidates to get the attention of Gen-Z Role of peer pressure to change behavior and attitudes The podcast tbh: by, about, and for teenagers podcast Annabel did as part of the KALW Public Media project #GenZ #Activism #KALW #BradyCenter #YoungVoters #GOTV #GunControl #ClimateChange #ReproductiveRights https://www.kalw.org/podcast/tbh-made-by-about-and-for-teenagers/2023-08-24/why-gen-z-activism-isnt

Cassie Choi, Co-Founder of the Pair Team, is focused on the challenge of finding available and affordable childcare for high-risk and high-need populations and the actions that can be taken to improve the health of families. As a White House Clinician Innovators Roundtable member, Cassie is looking at the health ecosystem and how to drive civic engagement from all stakeholders to help advance healthcare needs. As a nurse and entrepreneur, Cassis is advocating for childcare with the Biden administration to stimulate innovation at the state and local levels to address childcare needs and better understand how that affects the social determinants of the health of their populations. We talk about: Movers of health equity and which communities are most affected by the lack of childcare resources Raising awareness about unmet childcare and eldercare needs  National, state, and local activities to address childcare and whole-person healthcare of at-risk communities Connection between social determinants of health a

Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, brings his technical skills to applying AI to dense text to make it accessible to a broader audience. This episode includes a sample of turning text-to-audio from the introduction of the Georgia indictment of election fraud and demonstrates the limitations and opportunities for a tool like Audyo.ai. We talk about: Creating a rapid response to breaking news by using AI-based apps to turn text into a voice of choice  Fighting voter apathy with short, understandable content that drives action on the local level Best practices for using generative AI in political and advocacy campaigns @TheDemLabs #AI #TexttoAudio #PoliticalMessaging #VoterApathy TheDemLabs.org Audyo.ai  

Yemi Adewunmi is the Co-Founder and COO of Plural, part of the Higher Ground Labs portfolio of companies.  Plural has recognized the opportunity to apply AI to track the discovery, creation, and iterations of legislation at the congressional and state level to inform a number of different stakeholders.  Based on her experience working at the New York State Legislature, Yemi and her team provide tools to change how policy data can be viewed to identify trends and opportunities and aid collaboration. We talk about: Opportunities to unlock the power of legislative intelligence when the legislative process is more transparent The value of real-time information and alerts about the progress of legislation for those in the opposition Learning from the mistakes and successes of other state legislatures Value of their free offering to become acquainted with the AI tool The future of AI in influencing public policy #PluralPolicy #Legislation #LegislativeTracking #PublicPolicy #AI #AILegislativeTracking #AIAlerts #Ac

Joann Loulan, Executive Director of Local Majority, joins Deepak Puri, CEO, of The Democracy Labs, in a story about activism at the state level and the need to pay attention to what state legislatures are doing. Local Majority is promoting research from subject experts to counteract the influences of misleading and disinformation at the state and local levels. Deepak and Joann discuss: Why well-documented research is essential to dispelling misinformation and disinformation about the activities of state legislatures Use of rolling billboards to promote candidates and highlight local issues Finding and engaging specific voters to motivate them to take an interest in state and local candidates Who is taking responsibility for infrastructure projects #BlueforYou #LocalMajority @TheDemLabs #Activism #Disinformation #Misinformation #LocalPolitics BlueforYou.org TheDemLabs.org

Beth Dwyer, Vice President of Sales at Dotdash Meredith's MNI Targeted Media, worked for the Washington Post and Politico on the corporate side. Beth came to political adverting in 2017 when she realized the role digital advertising could play in political campaigns. She notes the changes since 2020 in the amount of money spent on digital ads and when that money will be spent to reach voters in 2024. Because of the fragmentation in the ad market, programmatic demonstrates that ad buys should be less about where the voter is and more about reaching the desired audience using data points outside of traditional voter data to understand voter behavior and target opportunities. We talk about: Advantages of digital ads over linear tv ads Targeting voters using programmatic, OTT/CTV, and social media Availability of ad inventory across the web Need to talk to young voters and Hispanic and African-American communities Most desirable online audiences in 2024 Use of AI in political advertising and building relationshi