Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda

Adam Ditch Kurtz, a Democrat, is running for governor of Tennessee in a race with 4 candidates competing in the August Democratic primary. A career musician, Ditch is building a grassroots campaign informed by his live performance experience and long-term use of social media to communicate authentically and respond rapidly to voters. He outlines his strategies for reaching rural and working-class voters and engaging the established political machine. We talk about The current political climate and appeal of an outsider running for public office Using social media to build an authentic personal brand and connect directly with an audience Most effective tools for reaching rural and working-class voters across Tennessee Breaking through voter apathy and distrust of traditional politicians #Ditch4Governor #Ditch4Gov #Ditch26 #ImPeople #DitchDiggers #WhoDoesThisHelp #TennesseePolitics #GrassrootsCampaign #AuthenticLeadership #MusicianInPolitics #TennesseeGovernor #DemocraticPrimary #PoliticalInnovation #VoterEngagement #SocialMediaPolitics #TennesseeVoters Ditch4Governor.com

Tomas Garduno, organizer and activist, joins Deepak Puri, Founder of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the power of the working class and what tools are necessary to organize and mobilize this diverse cohort. After 25 years of political experience, Tomas has written the Fundamentals of Electoral Organizing to support this community and encourage more people to get involved. He points out that the electoral arena offers a unique opportunity for the working class to leverage its numerical strength against those with extreme wealth. Deepak and Tomas talk about Need to overcome the artificial divisions of party and identify politics to unite people around shared material interests like housing, food access, and healthcare Primary obstacles to working-class power Who can be an organizer Practical skills for organizing communities for action #FundamentalsofElectoralOrganizing #TheDemLabs #ProtectingDemocracy #VoterEngagement #Democracy #WorkingClass #GrassrootsActivism #GrassrootsOrganizing #Organizing #Activism #VoterTurnout #CivicEngagement #GOTV #GetOutTheVote #PoliticalActivism #DemocracyInAction #DemocracyMatters #ProtecttheVote #ElectionSecurity #CommunityOrganizing #PoliticalEducation #SocialChange FundamentalsofElectoralOrganizing.org TheDemocracyLabs.org

Stephen Schear, activist and billboard expert, joins Deepak Puri, Founder of The Democracy Labs, to discuss a strategy to penetrate the right-wing propaganda machine by placing billboards with concise, visually powerful, and often negative messages in purple rural areas. Stephen details the logistics of creating, funding, and placing these kinds of billboards, emphasizing their cost-effectiveness. Deepak and Stephen talk about Why billboards are persuasive in rural communities Media habits of voters who believe false claims Collaborating with local county Democratic parties to target persuadable voters The value of negative advertising and ridicule in exposing political lies #PoliticalBillboards #TheDemLabs #VoterEngagement #GrassrootsActivism #ProgressiveActivism #VoterTurnout #PoliticalAdvertising #RuralOutreach #PoliticalMessaging #CivicEngagement #GOTV #GetOutTheVote #PoliticalActivism #DemocracyInAction #VoterSuppression #VoterOutreach #DemocracyMatters [email protected] TheDemocracyLabs.org

Michael McNulty, Policy Director at Issue One, joins Deepak Puri, Founder of The Democracy Labs, to discuss fixing democracy through campaign finance reform, election protection, big tech accountability, and defending the constitutional powers of Congress from executive overreach. The SAVE Act and Save America Act are identified as partisan attempts to create significant barriers to voting based on a false narrative of widespread voter fraud. Deepak and Michael talk about Lessons learned from international work observing authoritarian tactics to undermine elections Coordinated efforts underway to rewrite election laws and install loyalists in key government positions Details of the SAVE Act and Save America Act and how they are being presented Action that can be taken to protect democracy and combat voter suppression and disinformation #IssueOne #TheDemLabs #ProtectingDemocracy #VoterEngagement #Democracy #GrassrootsActivism #VoterTurnout #CivicEngagement #GOTV #GetOutTheVote #PoliticalActivism #DemocracyInAction #SAVEAct #SaveAmericaAct #ElectionIntegrity #VoterSuppression #DemocracyMatters #ProtecttheVote #ElectionSecurity IssueOne.org TheDemocracyLabs.org

Chris Nolan, Founder of Spot-On, points out that political consultants often overlook local news sites in favor of national sites with large audiences and programmatic advertising capabilities. Local news sites offer highly effective geographic targeting and audiences engaged in current events and their communities. With shifting loyalties to political parties and a move towards issue-based decisions, local news publishers have an opportunity to play a larger role in down-ballot races. We talk about: Why direct ad buys on local news sites can be more effective and financially smart for reaching voters in specific districts than complex targeting campaigns based on broad data analytics Engagement level on local news sites and their newsletters History of news organizations moving to a digital environment The Spot-On Pinpoint Persuasion Platform #PinpointPersuasionPlatform #PoliticalAdvertising #LocalMedia #LocalNews #CivicEngagement #VoterOutreach #MediaBuyers #PoliticalTech #CampaignStrategy #TargetingVoters #HyperLocalMarketing spot-on.com Pinpoint Persuasion Platform

Erin Miller, Founder of Cartoons for Democracy, joins Deepak Puri, Founder of The Democracy Labs, to discuss using postcards to enable people who can't canvass due to age, location, or time constraints to support campaigns. A political cartoon on one side of a postcard with a handwritten note is an eye-catching way to communicate a message quickly and humorously to a broad audience, and it is proving effective at getting attention from voters. Deepak and Erin talk about Why postcarding is a crucial tool for activism and complementary to other tactics Finding ways to overcome digital disinformation Role of the Campaign Postcard Captain How cartoons and humor can bypass literacy and attention span barriers to plant a seed about an idea #CartoonsForDemocracy #TheDemLabs #PostcardCampaign #VoterEngagement #Democracy #PoliticalCartoons #GrassrootsActivism #VoterTurnout #Postcarding #CivicEngagement #GOTV #GetOutTheVote #PoliticalActivism #DemocracyInAction CartoonsforDemocracy.org TheDemocracyLabs.org

Caroline Sanchez-Avakian, Strategic Communications Director at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, BISC, offers advice to nonprofits on effectively managing their communications and earned media strategies. The media environment continues to change, requiring nonprofits to tell authentic, clear, and concise stories about complex topics that fit into a larger narrative. We talk about: The need to move beyond episodic campaign-based thinking to building a comprehensive ongoing narrative Connecting policy to real-world community impact is essential to getting the attention of reporters Creating succinct and visually engaging videos, infographics, and bullet points Focusing on reaching an engaged, invested community rather than attempting to go viral with a message #BallotInitiativeStrategyCenter #BISC #BallotInitiatives #Nonprofits #EarnedMedia #MediaStrategy #CommunityEngagement #DigitalStrategy #PoliticalCommunications Ballot.org

Andrea Miller, Center for Common Ground, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to highlight the strategy behind the effort to get out the vote in the Virginia special election, where voters will decide on a proposal to redraw the state's congressional district maps. Deepak and Andrea talk about: Potential impact of the proposed Virginia congressional map Tactics to reach the 675,000 Black voters in Virginia Importance of postcards to effectively reach older, poorer, and rural voters who may not have reliable access to the internet Building trust and demonstrating that civic engagement can lead to tangible changes @CTR4CMNGround #VASpecialElection #GOTV @TheDemLabs #Redistricting CenterforCommonGround.org TheDemLabs.org

Anne-christine d'Adesky, journalist and Founder of Resisting Project 2025, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the financial and ideological motivations behind the Trump administration's policy to seize Venezuela and Greenland for oil and rare earth minerals. Deepak and Anne-christine talk about: How Project 2025 is the instructional guide for autocratic takeovers Who benefits from actions against Venezuela and Greenland Moves to counter China's dominance over the supply chain of rare earth minerals The pursuit of a Christian fundamentalist agenda #TheDemLabs #ResistingProject2025 #Protests #ResistancetoAutocracy #Autocrats #Resistance #Democracy #CivicEngagement #SocialMovements #PoliticalAction Resisting Project 2025 TheDemLabs.org

Patrice, a political commentator, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to talk about the need to write anonymously to be able to maintain his freedom of expression without jeopardizing his corporate career or putting his family at risk. His aims to show that modern political tactics are not new but part of a well-established historical pattern with predictable results. The use of first-person narratives and fictional characters is proving effective in attracting a growing international audience to his Substack Open Letters by Mersault. Deepak and Patrice talk about: The need for independent writers to counter disinformation The long history of the demonization of opponents Using humor, satire, and an entertaining approach to make sharp political critiques more effective Educating readers to fight disinformation #TheDemLabs #PoliticalWriting #Substack #AnonymousJournalism #PoliticalAnalysis #Democracy #GlobalReaders #HistoricalContext #PoliticalCommentary #DigitalActivism #IndependentMedia #PoliticalEducation #ResistanceWriting Open Letters by Mersault on Substack TheDemLabs.org

Lauren Windsor, political journalist and documentarian, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to talk about gonzo journalism and the need to report on a story with integrity and commitment to the truth. She draws a sharp distinction between her work and that of people who use deceptive tactics to appeal to less media-savvy audiences and create a false narrative. Deepak and Lauren talk about: The value of undercover reporting to hold politicians accountable Rules of the road for activist journalists Advice for victims of deceptive video campaigns Lauren's documentary Gonzo for Democracy #TheDemLabs #Journalism #EconomicJustice #SocialJustice #GonzoforDemocracy#GonzoJournalism #ElectionIntegrity #PoliticalJournalism #MediaLiteracy #Democracy #Accountability #Disinformation #DocumentaryFilm theundercurrent.tv TheDemLabs.org

Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, shines a light on how free and low-cost apps can simplify political intrigue and complex social issues and be used to educate and motivate. Visualization tools for relationship mapping, accountability mapping, and crowdsourcing increase civic engagement, hold elected officials accountable, and counter disinformation and conspiracy theories. Deepak and I talk about: Relationship mapping tools such as Kumu.io which are effective for exposing hidden financial and personal connections between individuals and organizations Accountability maps from Esri that serve to directly connect decisions of elected officials to tangible consequences and outcomes in their districts Crowdsourcing apps like Padlet which is a way to engage individuals in real-time information gathering and mobilization allowing for rapid response and collective documentation of events #TheDemLabs #PoliticalAccountability #DataVisualization #CivicEngagement #PoliticalTransparency #SocialJustice #VotingRights #CitizenJournalism #PoliticalData #CommunityOrganizing #Kumuio #Esri #Padlet TheDemLabs.org

Pat LaMarche, broadcaster, journalist, advocate, and founder of the Homeless Remembrance Blanket project, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Pat uses her journalism skills to address the root causes of mental health disorders, homelessness, and substance abuse, to inform and drive change in public policy. Deepak and Pat talk about: The source of her dedication to writing about poverty and homelessness The lack of empathy for the poor and the need to translate complex information into stories that inform a general audience What can be done to address the underlying issues of homelessness The potential for communities to make a difference #TheDemLabs #MemorialBlanket #Homelessness #Poverty #PovertyAwareness #Journalism #EconomicJustice #Affordability #SocialJustice #OrganizingMatters #FoodInsecurity #MentalHealth #SubstanceAbuse #SocialImpact #VoicefortheVoiceless MemorialBlanket.org TheDemLabs.org

Bradley Tusk is a political strategist, venture capitalist, philanthropist, podcaster, and author with a mission to promote and implement mobile voting in US elections. He points out that the most effective way to combat low voter turnout is to make it easier for people to vote and find out information about candidates and ballot initiatives. The Tusk Foundation has developed an open-source mobile voting platform that addresses security, authentication, and auditability, and it is being rolled out in 2026 in the US, starting with a local election in Anchorage, Alaska. We talk about: Increasing voter turnout to address political extremism by making politicians accountable to a more representative electorate Who benefits from low voter turnout, and why they might not support mobile voting How mobile voting drives cost savings, timeliness of results, and accessibility The need to give voters choices about how and when they can vote, including in-person and by mail, but also using the convenience of their mobile device #BradleyTusk #TuskFoundation #MobileVoting #Democracy #VoterEngagement #CivicTech #DigitalDemocracy #VotingRights #ElectionSecurity #PoliticalInnovation #TechForGood #DemocracyMatters BradleyTusk.com Author of Vote with Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting is Our Final Shot at Saving