Eva Posner, Founder of Evinco Strategies, focuses on the immense challenges facing political campaigns in this current environment of political violence, the 25-minute news cycle, and economic uncertainty. This climate has deterred qualified candidates from running and made it more difficult for campaigns to raise money, particularly from larger donors.

We talk about:

• How the threat of political violence is impacting the physical safety and mental health of candidates and their staff
• While partisan outrage drives small-donor online donations, sustained funding from major donors has become harder to secure
• Why the nationalization of state and local campaigns sets unrealistic fundraising expectations for candidates
• The role of social media in amplifying campaign ground efforts and breaking through the noise

#EvincoStrategies #PoliticalCampaigns #PolitcalViolence #Fundraising #PoliticalCandidates

EvincoStrategies.com

Scott Goodstein, Founder and CEO of Catalyst Campaigns, discusses the evolution and current state of social media strategies in politics in this interview, recorded on September 11 and the day after the murder of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Scott was the social media architect for the 2008 Obama campaign and contrasts the early, diverse social media landscape with today's video-dominated rapid-response environment, which is concentrated on a few major platforms.

We talk about:

• Where and how voters are getting news and information
• Using social media for two-way engagement rather than broadcasting
• Need to break out of the partisan echo chambers
• Strategic differences between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to defining the narrative and storytelling
• The role of AI in creating sophisticated disinformation

CatalystCampaigns.com

https://www.thewrap.com/wsj-trans-ideology-charlie-kirk-bullets-false-report/

This is an interview conducted by Deepak Puri of The Democracy Labs, discussing the art of podcasting with me, Karen Jagoda. Being a podcaster since the early days, I have seen my share of great guests, reluctant guests, and unprepared guests. Listening to other podcasters has helped me understand both the great potential and limited value podcasts and podcasters can have. In addition to the Digital Politics Podcast, I am also the producer and host of the Empowered Patient Podcast, which has allowed me to interview scientists and medical professionals who are increasingly interested in discussing politics and advocacy related to healthcare and research.

Deepak and I talk about:

• Preparation of guests about the format and host of the podcast to ensure key messages are expressed effectively
• Need for flexibility on the part of the host and guests to allow for natural and authentic conversations
• Keys to good storytelling, especially in an audio format
• Why commitment and consistency are necessary for a podcast to be effective

TheDemLabs.org

EmpoweredPatientPodcast.com

Hamid Ghanadan, CEO at LINUS, reports on their recent State of Science research that tracks scientists' sentiment, funding expectations, and barriers to their work. Key findings reveal that the politicization of science and erosion of public trust in science threaten to slow innovation rates and negatively impact public access to accurate information. The survey also shows a direct negative impact on scientists' morale, job satisfaction, and creativity.

We talk about:

• The growing perception of the public that science is not real
• Sources of public distrust of scientific information
• When scientists become politically active
• Need for more direct communication from the scientists and life science leaders to make complex topics more understandable and relevant
• Opportunity for researchers, institutions, vendors, and advocacy groups to recognize these issues and take responsibility to improve the communication of accurate health and medical information to a broader audience

#TheLINUSGroup #Scientists #MedicalResearchers #PublicTrust #PoliticizationofScience #HealthcareInformation #MedicalInformation

TheLINUSGroup.com

Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, has developed the FastAlert Now app that allows organizers and non-profit organizations to send alerts to people without requiring their phone number, email, or downloading an app. This free app is a channel-based system that uses QR codes and URLs to enable users to subscribe to a specific channel and receive push notifications on their phone or computer while protecting the identity of the recipient.

Deepak and I talk about:

• Need for privacy-centric communication technologies
• Advantages of precise targeting of messages while protecting privacy
• Rapid alerts in emergencies and combating misinformation and rumors
• Why humor is a strategic weapon in advocacy

#TheDemLabs #FastAlertNow #Advocacy #RapidResponse #Activists

TheDemLabs.org

James Keppel is the Founder and CEO of Sarana Health and a healthcare advocate for an integrated, wellness-focused approach to keeping people healthy instead of simply treating diseases. While the impacts of current policy changes and budget cuts in healthcare and medical research have yet to be seen, all indications point to widening gaps in serving rural populations and those with complex conditions. James encourages private industry to step up to innovate new models of healthcare delivery and financing, and to use AI and technology to support healthcare providers in providing personalized, continuous care.

We talk about:

• Need to inform and influence the debate about healthcare policy
• Gaps in how traditional medicine addresses chronic conditions and preventative care
• Hot button issues like drug price transparency, telehealth, and nutrition benefit cuts
• How the smarter use of diagnostic tests to find early warning signs of disease benefits all stakeholders
• Growing frustration among healthcare providers and patients with the current healthcare system is creating an opportunity for innovative models to emerge

#SaranaHealth #Healthcare #HealthcareCuts #RuralHealthcare #MedAI

Sarana.Health

Brian Rolling, Co-Founder of the MurMur Project, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss how individuals can engage more effectively through digital communication and social media, gaining a deeper understanding of political issues, campaigns, and elections, and have their own voices heard. Brian has a background in filmmaking and content creation, while his mother and co-founder has a long history in community organizing and running non-profits, making them a unique team to navigate the current political landscape.

Deepak and Brian talk about:

• Overcoming cynicism and the lack of trust in traditional media
• Reasons to encourage more people to share information with friends and family
• Value of trusted sources of authentic information
• Available tools and guidance for people to create and share content on social media
• Calls to action for 2026

#TheDemLabs #AmericansUnitedforSeparationofChurchandState #AU #SeparationofChurchandState #JohnsonAmendment

MurMur Impact Project Substack

TheDemLabs.org

Rebecca Markert, Vice President and Legal Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State , joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the fundamental American principle of the separation of church and state, as included in the Constitution. The Johnson Amendment, passed 70 years ago, is a critical law that prevents churches and charities from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

Deepak and Rebecca talk about:

• Historical perspective of the Johnson Amendment and bipartisan support
• Efforts to inject more religion into public schools
• The threat of religious beliefs being used to undermine democratic principles
• The rise of White Christian nationalism and efforts to dismantle the separation between church and state
• Calls to action

#TheDemLabs #AmericansUnitedforSeparationofChurchandState #AU #SeparationofChurchandState #JohnsonAmendment

au.org

TheDemLabs.org