Our communications and information ecosystems play a huge role in shaping the political violence landscape in the US. Many recent acts of political violence have been carried out by individuals who were radicalized and motivated by online mis- and disinformation and extremist networks. Journalistic choices in coverage of politics and incidents of political violence can help reduce polarization and build towards peace, or further inflame tensions and inspire copycat violence. And our overall narratives about violence, democracy, and governance processes help shape the bounds of acceptable behavior in society.
The DFN Political Violence Working Group’s May meeting is open to all funders in the DFN community. In this deep dive on influencing the communications ecosystem, we will explore how philanthropy can invest in projects that shift online spaces, journalism and media, and cultural narratives towards political violence prevention and mitigation.
Through peer conversation and engagement with leading practitioners in the field, we’ll learn about how leading organizations are outcompeting mis- and disinformation with fact-based content; training journalists to provide informative but not inflammatory reporting on political violence; and testing new messages and narratives to push back against violence. We’ll discuss bright spots in this work, and remaining needs to strengthen this field further.
Featured Speakers:
Eric Sapp, President and Founder, Public Democracy
Dan Vallone, US Director, More in Common
DFN’s Political Violence Working Group is a forum for funders interested in preventing and mitigating political violence. Members meet monthly to connect with and learn from each other and leading practitioners in the space, and to explore political violence trends, intervention bright spots, and needs in the field. Email DFN Program Director Carly Straus to learn more at carly@thirdplateau.com.