Beyond Transparency

Regulating Digital Mis/Disinformation

As the world has learned in recent years, online misinformation and disinformation pose grave threats to the integrity of our elections and the stability of our democracy. Unlike other countries, however, the US has largely failed to address gaps in its political advertising laws and regulations. In a new Roosevelt report, Anya Schiffrin—director of the technology, media, and communications specialization at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs—offers a path forward. Building on the work of former FEC Commissioner Ann Ravel, Schiffrin proposes six solutions for regulation by government and self-regulation by the social platforms themselves: from disclosure of online political advertising to rules against microtargeting. Read more.

A Women-Centered Recovery Agenda

Insufficient paid leave and childcare policies have exacerbated the challenges of school closures and partial reopenings during this pandemic—and, consequently, women have been forced to leave the workforce disproportionately. To prevent increased gender inequality in the long term, Roosevelt’s Suzanne Kahn argues in Ms. Magazine, we need “a new agenda that both helps compensate women for the work they do while out of the workforce during the pandemic and helps women reenter the workforce at the end . . .” Learn more.

A Civilian Conservation Corps for Forest Management

“While the daunting nature of climate change and intensification of wildfires can cause us to feel helpless, there are pathways forward. A new Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) could stimulate the economy, provide work to unemployed and underemployed folks, and help significantly reduce wildfire damages in the Western US,” Roosevelt Fellow Mark Paul and the Breakthrough Institute’s Zeke Hausfather write in an op-ed for The Hill. “The best part? There’s bipartisan support for the revival of the CCC. Recent polling finds 75 percent of likely voters support a new CCC, including 74 percent of Republicans.” Read on.

Join the Conversation

On Tuesday, October 6, at 2:00 p.m. ET, join Stacey Abrams—SEAP Co-Founder and Executive Director—and Open Society-U.S. Executive Director Tom Perriello for a webinar conversation covering what a progressive Southern strategy for an equitable recovery would look like. Register now.

What We’re Reading

Why Are There Still So Few Black CEOs? – Wall Street Journal

Black Families Average Less Than 15 Percent of Wealth of White Families, Fed Says – Politico

Mothers’ Careers Are at Extraordinary Risk Right Now – The Atlantic

Millions of Americans Risk Losing Power and Water as Massive, Unpaid Utility Bills Pile Up – Washington Post

Colonizing the Future [feat. Roosevelt’s Mehrsa Baradaran] – Boston Review

The Supreme Court Is Too Powerful and Anti-Democratic. Here’s How We Can Scale Back Its Influence. – Vox