Navigating today’s politics: three things brands should know

To read the full op-ed in Campaign US by Alison Pepper, EVP, Government Relations at the 4A’s, click here. 

 

The election highlighted what many Americans already understood: we are a deeply divided nation, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

 

Wednesday, January 6th broke cold and sunny, a typical winter day in the nation’s Capital.

The day had historical significance, as Congress met to count electoral college votes and formalize Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Normally a pro-forma affair with little drama, tension was thick in the air due to the turmoil of the preceding weeks.

While investigators will spend months analyzing what went wrong to result in such a spectacular security failure, it’s likely that a lot of different variables lined up at the same time.

January 6th broke open several simmering problems that will have a trickle-down effect on the advertising industry for years to come.

1. Social media’s disinformation problem

Social media platforms moved with whiplash speed to remove inciting content, even from President Trump himself, within 24 hours of the storming of Capitol Hill. It was a decision both praised and condemned.

For advocates that have been pushing social media companies to do more for years, it was probably bittersweet. Drastic change forged in the heart of crisis rarely results in the best long-term approach.

A cynic could point out that the Capitol Hill riot and the Georgia Senate run-off results happened on the same day, which begs the question: Were the social media companies’ change of heart a result of the riot or an attempt to appease a newly unified Democratic government? Was it both?

While the general public often misses the nuance around social media platforms and free speech, the past couple of weeks have further intensified debates on the enormous influence these platforms have on American discourse. Congress has been talking about reforms to Section 230 for years. President-elect Biden has indicated a desire to repeal it entirely.

It seems pretty likely that Section 230 reform will be front and center in the 117th Congress, with  renewed intensity. Implications for the advertising industry could be significant.

To read the full op-ed by Alison Pepper, EVP, Government Relations at the 4A’s click here.