Democracy Fix

There’s a critical mass of evidence pointing to the ways in which our politics and political system are broken. So the real question is: What can we do about it?In a new podcast, “Democracy Fix,” Issue One’s Director of Election Protection Dr. Carah Ong Whaley will be unpacking this question through conversations with innovative leaders from across the political spectrum. Listeners will get their fix of news, insightful analysis, and maybe even ideas that will inspire them to join the broader movement to fix democracy.

Subscribe and listen to “Democracy Fix” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Episode 2: The High Costs of ‘Free Speech’ in the Digital Age ft. Dr. Mary Anne Franks

What and whose speech does the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protect in the digital age? Misinformation about the First Amendment and notions of censorship are being used to distort policy debates and legislative interventions aimed at addressing the rampant spread of false information and online harms. The confusion arises when people believe they have the right to be heard without opposition. “People think that they have freedom of reach as opposed to freedom of speech,” says Dr. Mary Anne Franks, who joins Liana Keesing and Carah Ong Whaley to discuss the implications of the Supreme Court’s opinions in Murthy v. Missouri and Moody v. Netchoice. Dr. Franks, a member of Issue One’s Council on Responsible Social Media, also explains how provisions under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 impact social media platform liability debates and the urgent need for policy change to strengthen democratic discourse and create a safer and more responsible online world. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Episode 1: Going on the Offensive Defense: Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes on AI, Security, and Public Trust

Despite a toxic information environment, election officials are stepping up to meet the moment and make elections more safe and secure in 2024. One of the leaders is Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a member of Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign, who just won a Clearinghouse Award for Outstanding Innovation in Election Cybersecurity and Technology. In this episode, Secretary Fontes talks about how election officials are preparing for the challenges posed by the spread of false information, generative artificial intelligence technologies, the need for reliable federal funding for elections, and why ordinary Americans should step up and serve as poll workers this election year. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!