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...

Your regular reminder that AI didn't invent faked pictures and hoaxes daily.jstor.org/how-the-sun-...

To butcher an old line - acting is easy, being human is hard, if you can fake being human you've got it made. Can These Ads Make You Love A.I.? www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/s...

The new Office Hours with Karpf and Loge is on YouTube and all your favorite podcast platforms. I have strong feelings about the Minions and the DNC "autopsy" of the 2024 election. @davekarpf.bsky.social youtu.be/m7ThIMv34nE?...

A summer of soccer thinking starts with national team selections. The best managers: Assemble the best teams - not a list of the best players Ignore fame or expectations (Spain has no players from Real Madrid) Own their decisions without apologies or excuses www.nytimes.com/athletic/730...

I wrote this for The Hill in 2021, relevant today. "...those who make speeches on Memorial Day should use the occasion to draw on America’s founding ideals of equality and justice and remind us of our shared commitment to always work toward a “more perfect union.”" thehill.com/blogs/congre...

What do college professors due over summer break when they can't rant at students? They rant at each other. Office Hours with Karpf and Loge is back for a limited summer run, new episodes every two weeks on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform. @davekarpf.bsky.social youtu.be/UJFn0fCtQpc?...

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

Advice to grads: Create a present that you want to impose on future generations. www.peterloge.com/uncategorize...

My message to graduating seniors: Create a world worth complaining about losing. www.peterloge.com/uncategorize...

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...

I've had versions of these conversations with faculty around the country and with employers who are struggling to hire good entry-level staff. I've begun talking to students about these challenges as well - seems like a missing voice in the conversation. Thoughts? www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

I've received a couple of invitations to talk about my edited volume, Political Communication Ethics: Theory and Practice - for a fee. I won't pay to talk about ethics, though the requests seem to make the point that ethics is something we need to talk more about.

Emer-people (and Emerson adjacent people) - I will match every dollar you donate to Emerson College up to $5,000. Navigate around Matches & Challenges until you see mine. It's a weird and special place, and it's also why we're in each other's lives. www.givecampus.com/schools/Emer...

Dear @washingtonpost.com - would love to read about DC United's road win last night in my local paper, but you fired all your sports reporters. Why should I pay you for national news I get from others when you don't cover local sports news I want?

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...

Call for Proposals: Civic Education and America’s 250th | Deadline: April 5, 2026 Call for Proposals: Civic Education and America’s 250th APSA Teaching & Learning Symposium In-Person | APSA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. June 25-27, 2026 Application Deadline: April 5, 2026 Start Your Application…

On March 4, 1865 President Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address. It's worth revisting on March 4, 2026. avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century...

"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

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...

Life lesson from William Shatner: Boldly headbang where no one has headbanged before. www.yahoo.com/entertainmen...

You know what would be great? Local media coverage of DC United's win last night in their home opener. The Philadelphia Union got local coverage of their loss to DC because the @phillysport.bsky.social knows that local sports matter to people who pay for news.

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...

People don't do things they think they will be punished for. Until voters and viewers punish pols and pundits who pull racist garbage, that racist garbage will continue.

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...

Possibly the perfect metaphor for 2026. Jay Vine wins Tour Down Under after two kangaroos cause mass crash www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

Pleased to announce that John Barth has endowed a Democracy Innovation Prize at @smpagwu.bsky.social. Modeled on venture competitions, the prize will reward GW students who come up with ways to strengthen our democracy. I hope other schools follow John's lead. mediarelations.gwu.edu/school-media...

Want a good perspective on ethics and AI? Read Plato's Phaedrus. Want a good perspective on debates about gender and identity? Read Plato's Phaedrus. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

What political elites say matters.

Fellow faculty updating spring syllabi: Below are resources for teaching ethics in campaigns, advocacy, and political communication from @engagingnews.bsky.social and the Project on Ethics in Political Communication (that I direct, so a bit selfish but still worth checking out).

"You wouldn't believe it - eggs have gone up again. Never vote for this Government again, I won't. I'll give the Liberals a go." Albert in Agatha Christie's Postern of Fate (1973) www.agathachristie.com/stories/post...

Quick and easy paper or article: Review Tetlock and related literature Collect talking head and pundit predictions about political events (Jan 30 shutdown? who does polling say the public blames?) Ask several LLMs the same question Compare the accuracy of the predictions My money is on the bots

My end of semester note to students in @smpagwu.bsky.social at the George Washington University: Embrace rituals. "Routines are about doing. Rituals are about being." www.peterloge.com/uncategorize...

Most campuses, most of the time, are full of people learning and working together. Put down your phone, take a walk, talk to your neighbors. And for heaven's sake, don't believe every headline you read. wapo.st/3XJkFf5

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...

We're hiring! Legislative & Advocacy Specialist to develop integrated advocacy approaches using policy & comms strategies. Seeking candidates with 3+ yrs of experience, at least 1 yr working on the Hill or fed legislative advocacy. Hybrid position based in D.C. Details: https://protdem.org/3LVQP4q

Your read-ahead for today's meeting between Trump and Mamdani. Roland Barthes on wrestling; "The virtue of all-in wrestling is that it is the spectacle of excess." web.mit.edu/21l.432/www/...

Great opportunity with a tight deadline of Nov 28 napawash.org/bridge-allia...

What if there is no 'who' in the 'what' of AI and politics? (thanks to @swaisbord.bsky.social for the idea) www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Comms pros: Come work with me www.gwu.jobs/postings/122...

Dear @dcunitedofficial.bsky.social, Fans fought to keep DC United from moving to Baltimore before Audi Field. I'm not driving to Baltimore because you want to squeeze more money from a beleagured fan base. Best, A season ticket holder since 1996 www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

A quick reminder for everyone preparing their hottakes on tomorrow's elections: The results will not automatically prove you were right all along, and that therefore everyone should follow you, hire you, subscribe to your substack, or book you on their shows.

New project from an old friend and Emerson College classmate Scott Stiffler. Check it out, and if you can support the paper. Local and community media matter. lgbtqcommunitynews.nyc

The definition of optimism: I just renewed my @dcunitedofficial.bsky.social season tickets. Note this is also the defintion of foolhardy.

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...

Once more: The president's party has lost the Virginia governor's race all but once since at least the early 1970s. The White House is a bellweather for VA, not the reverse. From @politico.com: "The Virginia governor’s race was supposed to be the bellwether for both parties ahead of next year..."