January 08, 2020

PDC forum will spotlight growing influence of online political ads in Washington state

Campaign finance experts, political scientists, campaign consultants, digital advertisers and others will gather Jan. 16 in Olympia for a public discussion on digital political advertising and how best to ensure transparency in this rapidly evolving area.

The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission is convening the diverse group as it examines the current state of disclosure for political advertising.

"Big Data, Big Dollars: Shining a Light on Digital Political Advertising" is scheduled for 1 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday Jan. 16 in the Helen Sommers Building, 106 11th Ave. SW, Olympia. The meeting will stream live on TVW.

Panel discussions will focus on how digital advertising can influence elections, the public interest in knowing who's behind online campaign ads, and how to meet the need for transparency.

A moderated discussion of panelists and Commission members will follow to explore the role of government regulation in making sure the public gets the information it needs.

Speakers include:

Denise Roth Barber, National Institute on Money in Politics | Presentation

Austin Graham, Campaign Legal Center | Presentation

Travis Ridout, Washington State University professor and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project | Presentation

Shannon McGregor, University of Utah assistant professor, Department of Communications | Presentation

Laura Edelson, Ph.D. candidate, New York University Tandon School of Engineering and co-author of an analysis of U.S. online political advertising | Presentation

Josh Amato, co-founder of Sermo Digital | Presentation

Erin Schultz, NWP Consulting | Presentation

Rose Feliciano, Internet Association

Sean J. Wright, Venable Law Firm, Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) | Presentation

Alex Propes, Senior Dir. of Policy, Interactive Advertising Bureau, DAA

Also attending:

Members of the California Fair Political Practices Commission

Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington

League of Women Voters of Washington

Date:
January 16, 2020