What I’m Reading - 1/7/24
Must reads about the year of elections and some wins personally and professionally this week
This has been a fun week. I purposely kept my schedule light as I wind down work with the Bipartisan Policy Center, International Republican Institute, and Integrity Institute ahead of me, officially starting with Duco tomorrow.
But, it was still a busy week - and a fulfilling one personally and professionally.
Professionally, I had three big wins.
First, Axios used Panic Responsibly in a newsletter subject line! I had a few of you forward it to me to see if I had seen it, and Axios told me they got a few compliments on it. Someone else told me they were jealous they hadn’t thought of it. This month I hope to figure out a marketing strategy for the merch site - and make sure I’m doing the whole sales tax thing right - as it seems to resonate with folks.
Second, Foreign Policy magazine called me “an election whisperer to the tech industry” in a story they did about “What AI Will Do to Elections.” That one I might have to add to my bio.
Third, Kat Duffy and I published an essay in Foreign Affairs magazine about “Defending the Year of Democracy.” We’ve been working on this piece since October, and it’s been so lovely to see people share it.
Personally, I was happy that I did things like clean out my closet, clear the pile of stuff that I had been throwing on the top of a chest for six months and go through my books. In that pile of stuff on the chest was a tote bag I had made with one of my favorite quotes on it:
“Every life is an unprecedented experiment. This life is mine alone. So I have stopped asking people for directions to places they’ve never been. There is no map. We are all pioneers.”
— Glennon Doyle, Untamed
And then, when going through my books, I came across the journal that is an accompaniment to Glennon’s book Untamed. Next thing I knew, an hour had passed of me flipping through the pages and thinking about the questions it posed.
So, I decided I’m going to update my mind map from 2020. This is a picture of it when it was new and fresh. Four years later, it is so faded you couldn’t read the build section anymore, and the voice one was pink instead of purple. I’ve done or started many of these things listed, so I am in the process of a refresh. I’ll let you know when I’m done.
Thanks for reading! Have a lovely Sunday.
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What I’m Reading
Foreign Policy: Elections to Watch in 2024
Foreign Policy: 8 Simmering Threats You Shouldn't Ignore in 2024
Mehlman Consulting: Trust Fall - Politics & Policy: 2023 Take-Aways & 2024 Look-Aheads
Washington Post: A right-wing tale of Michigan election fraud had it all – except proof
Axios: How generative AI will impact elections around the world
- : 5 Predictions About How AI Will (and Won’t) Impact the 2024 U.S. Election
The Globe and Mail: Opinion - If AI is threatening democracy, protect democracy first
Foreign Affairs: Artificial Intelligence’s Threat to Democracy
The Telegraph: Democracy is the theme of 2024 – and that is Mark Zuckerberg’s biggest test yet
- : What did Rishi Sunak spend £42,093 on for Christmas?
Associated Press: Right-wing social media platform Parler plans to relaunch early next year
Financial Times: Can democracy survive 2024?
Morning Consult: Gen Z’s Engagement with Social Media, Entertainment, Tech
Tech Policy Press: Can Disruptive Technology Be Responsible In 2024 And Beyond?
Tech Policy Press: The Unbearably High Cost of Cutting Trust & Safety Corners
Tech Policy Press: Deplatforming Reduces Overall Attention to Online Figures, Says Longitudinal Study of 101 Influencers
Bloomberg: Social Media Companies’ Moderation Efforts Lost Steam in 2023
Politico: The Unpredictable But Entirely Possible Events That Could Throw 2024 Into Turmoil
Financial Times: Forget technology — politicians pose the gravest misinformation threat
Washington Post: Opinion | Why we split the world into good and evil
Congressional Research Service: Democracy and Human Rights in U.S. Foreign Policy: Tools and Considerations for Congress
Chamber of Progress: We Used AI to Analyze Congressional Hearings on AI. Here’s What We Learned.
International Foundation for Electoral Systems: In a Bumper Year of Voting, Will Democracy’s Prospects Advance?
Aspen Digital: Launching the AI Elections Initiative - Vivian Schiller & Josh Lawson
Council on Foreign Relations: Taiwan’s Early Warning for the Future of Tech
Atlantic Council: Six ways for the US to put democracy back on the global agenda in 2024
Alice Hunsberger: Alice Links - Trust and Safety Links from Around the Web
Atlantic Council DFR Lab: Distortion by design: How social media platforms shaped the first stage of the Mideast crisis
Atlantic Council DFR Lab - Massive Russian influence operation targeted former Ukrainian defense minister on TikTok
Just Security: Introduction to Expert Statements on Role of Extremism in Social and News Media, submitted to January 6th House Select Committee
Please support the curation and analysis I’m doing with this newsletter. As a paid subscriber, you make it possible for me to bring you in-depth analyses of the most pressing issues in tech and politics.