Session title: Building Competencies for Civic Integrity Professionals: Strengthening Advisory Relationships In and Out of Tech Platforms

Speakers:

• Rebecca Thein
• Talha Baig
• Theodora (Theo) Skeadas,
• Nichole Sessego
• Sarah Amos
• Elizabeth (Liz) Mori Tornheim

The session started with an enlightening discussion about the concept of “civic integrity”, which the panel described as extending beyond elections to include the maintenance of legitimacy during civic events and crisis management. The panel shared anecdotes about sudden staff reductions during crucial election support periods, leading to a broader discourse on the implications of tech layoffs for independent research and election assistance. This conversation raised concerns about how constraints on API access from some social platforms might hamper independent research.

The session provided an in-depth exploration of the nuances within the tech industry, with a focus on the importance of ‘civic integrity’ and the implications of tech layoffs on independent research. A variety of critical themes were scrutinized, including the essential role of operations teams in resolving tech industry issues and the human-intensive nature of these operations. The panel stressed the value of cross-departmental collaboration during company reshuffles and discussed strategies for bridging knowledge gaps in an election context, such as condensing information for more accurate content detection and establishing partnerships.