The President of the United States should not attack the free press if he doesn't like they say, should not baselessly attack elections if he doesn't like their outcomes, should not defend people who tried to overthrow the government, and should not make stuff up. www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...

Public servants - including elected officials - need to both be and appear to be above reproach. Democracy relies on trust, contracts that look like kickbacks or special favors undermine trust. wapo.st/3QmJjSz

Baseless attacks on elections undermine trust in democracy. Pundits and pols should stand up for democracy, not weaken it. Trump’s Fraud Claims in California Could Undermine Confidence in November Result www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/u...

Undermining trust in public institutions like the FDA and CDC for political gain and clicks has real word consequences. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Is it ethical to try to pick your opponent? Does it make a difference if the effort is transparent? www.politico.com/news/2026/05... @politico.com

That anyone has to consider whether or not this is part of the deal says nothing good. "Another slide also made an unusual offer: If prosecutors dropped the charges, Mr. Adani would be willing to invest $10 billion in the American economy and create 15,000 jobs..." www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/n...

It's primary season, which means it's time to ask if it's ethical for candidates to try and pick their opponents. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/u... @shanegoldmacher.bsky.social

Elite rhetoric matters. "The president’s yearslong, baseless campaign to claim widespread voter fraud has penetrated the American public’s perception, undermining confidence in elections, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows." www.politico.com/newsletters/...

What if we treated politics more like a park and less like a sport? I asked an audience at Montana State University in Bozeman that question a few weeks ago, my written remarks are here. www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/what-if...

We should be alarmed by the lying, not that AI and social makes lying easier. Candidates should disavow these accounts, and voters should punish candidates who condone this nonsense. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/b...

Attacking a free press is anti-democratic. The point of the press is to be critical, that's their job in a democracy. Journalists who always make government happy aren't doing their job. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Attacking someone's faith is wrong. It was wrong when Catholics and Quakers were attacked in pre-revolutionary America, it is wrong when Muslims and Jews are attacked today. www.npr.org/2026/03/14/g...

Is it ethical to use AI to enhance someone's voice in a political ad? What if the person whose voice it is agrees to it? www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Nehls is saying doing the wrong thing is OK if you keep power. Machiavelli might be smiling, but no one else is. "But aren’t some things bigger than politics?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked. “No,” Nehls continued. “Not up here, not the way we — what we do in the house.” www.huffpost.com/entry/maga-r...

"We are trading serious governance for a carnival atmosphere, and it’s tearing the seams of our 1787 agreement. Democracy isn't a game show—it’s fueled by truth and the mutual respect to listen, even when we don't get our way." - Former MT Gov and RNC Chair Marc Racicot youtu.be/AJFwf094-_k

Former MT Governor and RNC Chair Marc Racicot has strong feelings about the promise of our democracy, the perilous times were in, and the current administration. www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/former-...

Tomorrow I'm talking to former MT Governor and RNC Chair Marc Racicot about ethics in political communication. Yes, the SOTU will come up. www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/event-c...

The Montana Republican Party rebuked their former Governor and former RNC Chair Marc Racicot for endorsing Biden. We talk to him on Thursday about ethics his new role at Republicans for Integrity. www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/event-c...

Is a story true if it's made up of facts from different stories? Does it matter if the message at the core of the story is true and the facts are accurate? Via @scottnover.bsky.social wapo.st/4tITiAC

On Feb 26 former MT Gov and RNC Chair Marc Racicot joins the Project to talk about ethics in political communication. Details and registration here: www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/event-c...

This is obscene. Elected officials, candidates, pundits, and their staff will stop behaving like racists when voters and consumers punish them for it. Public condemnation is a critical start - but unless outrage is matched by action, racist behavior will continue. www.axios.com/2026/02/06/t...

Candidates, elected officials, and pundits should not promote or excuse threats or violence. They should call out and condemn threats and violence, regardless of who is doing it and who the target is. www.thefp.com/p/fear-is-no...

Political violence should be condemned, even when that violence is committed against people you disagree with. The point of democracy is that we argue rather than fight. Normalizing violence undermines the point of democracy. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Ethics is doing what you think is right, even when it comes at a personal cost. “Weaponizing criminal investigations against political opponents is unconstitutional, regardless of who is in power..." share.google/3F7ZGFnChHRO...

It is unethical to deceptively alter pictures to make a political point. www.cbsnews.com/news/white-h...

The point of an independant judiciary is that it's independant. Attacking or threatening judges because you disagree - even strongly - with their rulings is undemocratic. thehill.com/homenews/hou...

The point of democracy is that you don't need dictators but you do need elections. Leaders of democratic nations shouldn't talk about cancelling elections or promoting dictatorships. www.newsweek.com/trump-davos-...

In 2019 I asked students in my political communication ethics class about the ethics of a Rep running as a Dem in the fictional state of West Carolina. In 2026 voters in the real state of North Carolina will be able to answer that question. www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaig...

"Our most precious commodities are time and attention...how you focus your time and attention tells me a lot about who you are and the ethical choices you’re making in the world." www.deseret.com/politics/202...

More elected officials should follow the lead of Minnesota State Rep. Coleman (R) and call out nonsense for what it is - nonsense. wapo.st/3KQqsNe

Teaching politics, political communications, or campaigns this spring? Looking for resources on ethics? Good news - a bunch are below. If you aren't going to include ethics in your course, well, you should.

Veteran Republican strategist Joe Pounder joined Project on Ethics in Political Communication director Peter Loge for a conversation about ethics and political consulting. You can watch our dicussion here. youtu.be/FUX9jrJpMKY

Ethics and political consultants - a conversation with veteran Republican strategist Joe Pounder today at noon. www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/ethics-...

What are the ethics of political consulting? Join the Project on Ethics in Political Communication for a conversation with veteran Republican consultant Joe Pounder on Weds, Jan 17. www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/ethics-...

Join Project on Ethics in Political Communication director Peter Loge for a conversation about ethics and political consultants with veteran Republican strategist Joe Pounder - Weds, Dec 17th at noon ET. Details and registration: www.ethicsinpoliticalcommunication.org/blog/ethics-...

The problem with AI generated fakes isn't the AI - it's the faking. Project on Ethics in Political Communication's latest for @thehill.com thehill.com/opinion/tech...

Public service is not for private gain. “Government officials should not, and should not appear to be, endorsing a commercial product. Full stop,” Project on Ethics in Political Communication director Peter Loge. www.notus.org/money/mike-h...

"...calling your opponents traitors — and then specifically saying that it warrants the death penalty — is reckless, inappropriate, irresponsible.” US Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) We couldn't have said it better. thehill.com/homenews/562...

Calling for the execution of your political opponents is obviously wrong and should be condemned. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/u...

AI gets the headline, but it's the faking that's the problem. Campaigns shouldn't make stuff up about their opponants. www.wsbtv.com/news/local/a...

Join the Project on Ethics in Political Communication next Monday, Nov. 10 at 2p ET for a conversation about ethics and advocacy in a time of Trump with political strategist, tech exec, and former Republican Lucy Caldwell. Details and registration here: forms.gle/FKEB2NLsH5Ma...

The Trump administration is using pictures and videos that aren't connected to its claims to make the case for its policies. This is deceptive and wrong. wapo.st/4oMJke4

The government should not threaten people who report on or speak out about government officials. The point of the First Amendment is to allow the public and press to criticize the government.

The problem of AI generated fake audio isn't AI - it's fake audio. People don't need AI to lie, they are perfectly capable of lying on their own. AI makes it easier and faster, but the problem remains lying, not AI. thehill.com/homenews/med...

Instead of AI, what if it had been an impersonator or human stand in? AI is the news hook but the question is about the connection between image, truth, and reality. New tech, questions at least as old as Plato. www.axios.com/local/richmo...

Failure to hold corrupt politicians accountable decreases public trust in the political system and gives permission for people to lie and cheat as long as their friends are in power. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

Vile begins to describe this. Republican leaders at every level should denounce the rhetoric and dissasociate from everyone involved in the group. No excuses, no both sides, no equivocation. Language like this is wrong. www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Vile begins to describe this. Republican leaders at every level should denounce the rhetoric and dissasociate from everyone involved in the group. No excuses, no both sides, no equivocation. Language like this is wrong. www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

This should be obvious - don't post misleading pictures. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Email fundraising is notoriously an ethical disaster. These standards from Democratic fundraising platform @actblueorg.bsky.social are a good step in the right direction. help.actblue.com/hc/en-us/art...