The traditional model of leadership is one that doesn’t show weakness. But a new kind of leader is emerging for a new era: a leader that admits they are just as anxious and overwhelmed by the dire state of the world as anyone else. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who gave the opening remarks at…
At a time when social media companies are debating how best to deal with political advertising, Reddit is testing something new. While the “front page of the internet” is still accepting political ads–unlike Twitter and other competitors–it is tinkering with how users interact with them, and how comments are moderated. But many users are unsatisfied…
Facebook is taking steps to address the shortage of poll workers for the upcoming presidential election, due largely to the pandemic. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post Friday that users in the U.S. over the age of 18 will see messages atop their News Feeds this weekend, leading them to information on how…
Social media platforms received mixed reviews in terms of political and social activism, with most respondents to a new study from Pew Research Center saying they are an effective tool for raising awareness and creating sustained movements, but also calling them a distraction and believing that they lull people into thinking they are making a…
Twitter detailed updates to its civic integrity policy with the upcoming U.S. presidential election in mind. The social network said in a blog post that its existing policy covers the most directly harmful types of content: information or false claims on how to participate in civic processes; content with the potential to intimidate or suppress…
A record number of people are expected to vote by mail in this year’s presidential election, as many states have expanded access to the option due to health and safety concerns related to Covid-19. In light of this, a progressive grassroots organization called Vote From Home 2020 is sending mail-in ballot applications to a particular…
Spotify kicked off Play Your Part Wednesday, describing it as a nonpartisan initiative to provide resources for first-time voters prior to November’s U.S. presidential election. The streaming platform teamed up with artists, creators and influencers including Alaina Castillo, Chloe x Halle, Conan Gray and King Princess on the initiative. Spotify’s Voter’s Booth hub will provide…
Ahead of the U.S. elections this November, Pinterest is making some changes to boost civic engagement on its platform and tightening its policies on political ads. The company will not run ads against election-related search terms to “help ensure there’s a lower risk of ads appearing next to content that’s not inspiring (and therefore less…
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said today that the social network will not accept new political advertising in the week leading up to Election Day. It’s an effort, he said, to clamp down on misinformation and ensure voting isn’t suppressed. Political ads purchased before that final week will still be able to run on Facebook and…
Key insight: Political ad spend in digital is expected to reach $3 billion in 2020, according to GroupM. In a bid for political ad dollars, WarnerMedia and Xandr are taking another step closer together. Political and advocacy advertisers can now set up private marketplace deals through Xandr Invest, the ad-tech unit’s demand-side platform, to buy…
Reddit is following up on its Up the Vote voter-registration initiative with Voting in America, a series of Ask Me Anything sessions leading up to Election Day in the U.S. Voting in America is aimed at giving Redditors access to information from experts on voting laws and voter rights, as well as clarity on the…
Advertising campaigns and candidates during an election season can often be complicated (and divisive), but marketing election coverage itself may leave some more room for creativity. In new ads, CNN is employing characters from classic political cartoons to help promote its live political coverage. In spots promoting the cable network’s coverage of events like the…
President Donald Trump is seeking a U.S. Supreme Court Review of a lower court decision on whether blocking critics from his Twitter account is constitutional, and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is not happy. The Knight Institute filed a lawsuit against Trump in 2018, and U.S. District Court for the Southern District…
As we approach November, media concern about election integrity grows. Of course, not all of that concern is genuine. Whether you are from the school of thought that has no issue with voter suppression if it protects your priorities, or are all for pushing for more voters to register at any cost, lines have been…
Nearly three-quarters of adults in the U.S. believe that social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints that they find objectionable, and that belief is especially prevalent among Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center. The think tank surveyed 4,708 U.S. adults between June 16 and…
Key insights: NBC News had long been looking for its own version of “Rock the Vote.” This is the network’s first NBC News-centric PSA campaign. With the presidential election just 78 days away–and the Democratic National Convention kicking off tonight–NBC News is rolling out a new PSA campaign to help viewers determine how they can…
Google and its YouTube video site outlined steps they are taking to protect the upcoming presidential election in the U.S. Two features were added to Google Search. Searching for how to register to vote will bring up information about voter registration in the user’s state, including deadlines, options and a way to check their status….
Facebook revealed the next step in its initiative to help 4 million people in the U.S. register to vote prior to November’s presidential election with the rollout of its Voting Information Center Thursday on Facebook and Instagram. The Voting Information Center can be accessed directly via the menu on Facebook or Instagram, and people can…
TikTok continues to play defense against the Trump administration’s continued assault on the video-creation platform, detailing a new set of steps to combat misinformation and election interference as the presidential election in the U.S. approaches. The platform’s misinformation policies are being extended to include synthetic or manipulated media, such as shallow or deepfakes, aimed at…
Twitter added tweets from key government officials and from accounts belonging to state-affiliated media entities to the list of political content that it affixes labels to. The social network defined key government officials as senior officials that are the voice of the nation-state abroad, including foreign ministers, institutional entities, ambassadors, official spokespeople and key diplomatic…
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