Project on Ethics in Political Communication

Email fundraising is notoriously an ethical disaster. These standards from Democratic fundraising platform @actblueorg.bsky.social are a good step in the right direction.

help.actblue.com/hc/en-us/art...

Progressive communications firm Spitfire Strategies is the latest to put out a primer on AI and advocacy ethics. More firms should clearly state how they view the ethical use of AI.

spitfirestrategies.com/app/uploads/...

Choosing Civility After the Fatal Shooting of Charlie Kirk Where is America headed? It’s a question we all must confront amid the political violence shaking the very core of our country. Wednesday’s assasination of the conservative influencer Charlie Kirk lan...

From The Overlook, a local weekly in New York state:

Violence against political leaders tests our democracy. We must reject dehumanizing rhetoric and model restraint—starting in our own communities.

theoverlooknews.com/choosing-civ...

The Power of AI is New, But It Raises Age Old Ethical Questions It can be tempting to believe that AI changes everything. But the nefarious uses of AI aren't nefarious because they use AI.

The power of AI is new, but it raises age-old ethical questions - Project on Ethics in Political Communication director Peter Loge in a special edition of Campaigns & Elections

campaignsandelections.com/ce-45/the-po...

Recording and Notes - The ethics of talking about political violence. — Project on Ethics in Political Communication I recently talked to Kristen Grimm about the ethics of talking about political violence. You can watch a recording of our conversation here . Throughout the conversation, Kristen and I reinforced ...

A few days ago, Kristen Grimm and I talked about the ethics of talking about political violence. Everyone should reinforce is unacceptable, rare, and wildly unpopular.

www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/recordi...

More from @johnsides.bsky.social is here:
mailchi.mp/goodauthorit...

Why Support for Political Violence Is Not as High as It May Seem

Journalists, pundits and pols should reinforce this message.

"Only a vanishingly small number of Americans support political violence in any meaningful sense."

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/u...

Recording and Notes - The ethics of talking about political violence. — Project on Ethics in Political Communication I recently talked to Kristen Grimm about the ethics of talking about political violence. You can watch a recording of our conversation here . Throughout the conversation, Kristen and I reinforced ...

Project director @ploge.bsky.social sat down with communications expert Kristen Grimm to talk about the ethics of talking about political violence. A recording of the conversation and follow up notes are here -

www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/recordi...

Event: The Ethics of Talking About Political Violence — Project on Ethics in Political Communication Kristen Grimm, founder of Spitfire Strategies joins Peter Loge, the director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication on Thursday, September 18 at 1:00pm ET to talk about the et...

What are the ethics of talking about political violence?

Join Project director Peter Loge and communications leader Kristen Grimm tomorrow for a conversation about how to ensure political violence remains rare, condemned, and unpopular

www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/event-t...

Event: The Ethics of Talking About Political Violence — Project on Ethics in Political Communication Kristen Grimm, founder of Spitfire Strategies joins Peter Loge, the director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication on Thursday, September 18 at 1:00pm ET to talk about the et...

Join the Project on Ethics in Political Communication for a conversation with Kristen Grimm about the ethics of talking about political violence. Details and registration here:

www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/event-t...

Journalists, pundits, and politicians: Political rhetoric matters and framing matters. Defining political violence as normal and acceptable makes it normal and acceptable. The result is a democratic death spiral.

www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/the-eth...

This is one perspective from 2020

campaignsandelections.com/industry-new...

Consultants Struggle With How to Ease Political Tensions When it comes to actually reducing political tensions, some consultants and strategists say that they’re stumped.

Do political consulants have an obligation to make political rhetoric less extreme and less violent?

campaignsandelections.com/industry-new...

Political violence is unacceptable.

The point of democracy is that we argue instead of shooting. Violence is, by definition, anti-democratic.

Do not promote, applaud, mock, or minimize political violence.

YouTube video by Ethics in Political Communication Beyond the Beltway: Young Advocates Finding Common Ground

The Project on Ethics in Political Communication sat down with David and Calder earlier this year - their goal is principled partisanship rather than partisan ranting or artificial consensus.

youtu.be/iefln4g60Jc?...

2 high schoolers want to heal the political divide David Chen and Calder Law are bringing their idea to other states.

Two high school students -one Dem, one Rep - started a national organization to fix politics.

www.deseret.com/politics/202...

The Analog Allure of Photographers’ Contact Sheets

Contact sheets are case studies in ethics - is President Kennedy contemplative? Feeling the weight of the world? Or just stretching his back? The viewer answers the question and assigns it meaning.

The Analog Allure of Photographers’ Contact Sheets www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/a...

A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers An initiative aimed at boosting Democrats online offers influencers up to $8,000 a month to push the party line. All they have to do is keep it secret—and agree to restrictions on their content.

What are the ethics of paying political influencers? Via @wired.com

www.wired.com/story/dark-m...

The AI in politics toothpaste isn't just out of the tube, it's going to happy and taking selfies with the candidate. But the ethics of AI in political campaigns remains an open discussion.

campaignsandelections.com/industry-new...

Making Campaigns More Ethical — Project on Ethics in Political Communication On Thursday, August 28th former US Representative Claudine Schneider (R-RI) joined Project director Peter Loge for a conversation about improving our political discourse. Rep. Schneider served in t...

Former US Rep. Claudine Schneider (R-RI) joined Project director Peter Loge to talk about making campaigns more ethical - check out the conversation here.

www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/making-...

Now What? Making political campaigns more ethical On Thursday, August 28th at 1pm ET join Project director Peter Loge and former US Representative Claudine Schneider (R-RI) for a conversation about improving our political discourse. Rep. Schneider se...

Join the Project on Ethics in Political Communication on Aug 28 for a conversation with former US Rep Claudine Schneider (R-RI) about how to make politics more ethical. Details and registration here:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Big thanks to IBM's Tech for Impact series for asking Project director Peter Loge to talk about ethics, AI, and fakes deep, shallow and historical. A very interesting conversation.

Earlier today I talked to Andrew Doty and @dustinwahl.bsky.social about the communication ethics of advocating for political reform. A very interesting conversation and a lot of food for thought. Check it out.

www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/video-conver...

Ethical Communications as a Political Reform Practitioner — Project on Ethics in Political Communication On July 15th at 1pm ET, join the Project on Ethics in Political Communication for a Zoom conversation about ethical communications as a political reform practitioner with political reform consultant ...

The Project on Ethics in Political Communication's occasional conversation series is back - on July 15 we're talking about ethics and political reform with Andrew Doty and @dustinwahl.bsky.social.

Details and registration here:
www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/ethical...

New Study Shows Runaway Influence of Dark Money in Politics Unknown entities poured billions of dollars into the 2024 election.

Politics is one of the most public things we do. That so much of our politics is being funded in private is undemocratic.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Opinion | A.G. Sulzberger: A Free People Need a Free Press

"The free press may be trouble, but it goes with the territory of a healthy democracy."

A.G. Sulzberger: A Free People Need a Free Press www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/o...

Campaigning for Your Enemies - Center for Media Engagement Is it ethical to campaign for opponents you know you can beat?

Background reading from the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin -
mediaengagement.org/research/cam...

Ethics question, a version of which was the final exam question in Political Communication Ethics in @smpagwu.bsky.social: Would it be ethical for Democrats to campaign for Paxton in the Republican primary?

Via @punchbowlnews.bsky.social

Trump defends the prospect of Qatar gifting him a plane to use as Air Force One U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One. The Qatari government said a final decision hadn’t been made.

Of course accepting a jet from a foreign government is unethical. Good grief.

apnews.com/article/trum... 
Trump defends the prospect of Qatar gifting him a plane to use as Air Force One

Trump, asked if he has to 'uphold the Constitution,' says, 'I don't know' Trump said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he’s following lawyers’ advice as he tries to execute rapid deportations, arguing that giving immigrants due process is time-consuming.

Presidents swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. It is a sacred oath to uphold a sacred document. They don't get to pick which parts of the Constitution they follow any more than priests get to pick which commandments to follow.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...