The Madison Project

The Madison Project is a timely and much-needed assessment of the impact of free speech and free press on the future of democracy, at a time when democracy itself has come perilously close to the brink in America. The Project invokes the legacy of James Madison, “Father of the Constitution,” and the efforts of our Founding Fathers to create a vibrant democracy rooted in freedom of expression.

The Madison Project reflects The Media Institute’s foundational beliefs in American democracy, free speech and press, a strong First Amendment, and the importance of an informed citizenry equipped to participate in the democratic process.

As The Media Institute embarks on a one-year celebration of its 45th Anniversary culminating in October 2024, The Madison Project is a high-impact, tangible effort to use this time effectively in service to the fundamental freedoms of speech and press that make our democracy possible. The Project’s Steering Committee is chaired by noted First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams.

Goals

The Madison Project’s working premise is that a strong democracy depends on a high level of free speech and freedom of the press, and that a weakening of speech and press freedoms will result in a weakening of American democracy itself.

At a time of unbridled partisanship, tribalism, and polarization, The Madison Project will identify factors in social, political, and cultural contexts that would have the effect (directly or indirectly) of weakening freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the First Amendment – especially factors that will be in play during the 2024 election process and the months following.

Next, the Project will assess the impact that any weakening of free speech and press caused by these factors will likely have on the democratic process, starting with the elections and going well beyond.

The Project will then engage in a multi-faceted educational effort to make the public aware of these threats to free speech and press and the resulting impact on our democracy.

It is no coincidence that The Madison Project is launching in the months leading up to the 2024 elections, including the presidential race.  The conduct of these elections will be tied more closely than ever to the media – not just the usual barrage of political ads on television, but media broadly defined to include social media, targeted online advertising, highly partisan news outlets and pundits, algorithm-driven content, disinformation, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The need for The Madison Project is urgent because the nature and veracity of information reaching the electorate will be crucial – not only to the voting process and the outcome of the elections, but to the character of American life well beyond election day.

We anticipate the Project will result in an electorate that is better-informed about the role of the media, better able to distinguish fact from opinion and innuendo, more aware of the forces being brought to bear upon the information reaching them, and more mindful that there are no guarantees about the future of our democracy.

Methodology

The heart of The Madison Project is an Exploration of Key Issues.  The Project will examine in depth six to nine critical First Amendment, free speech, and free press issues and their impact on our democracy.  Examples of the issues we’ve identified include:

• Disinformation and its impact on people and events.
• AI – an unchecked force in political advertising and information.
• Content moderation – what’s the right formula?
• Targeted advertising vs. personal privacy.
• Algorithms as social media drivers.
• Digital news aggregators and the threat to traditional journalism.

Program Elements

The Exploration of Key Issues will be developed and communicated through three main program elements: (1) A series of podcasts involving legal experts and scholars; (2) creation of two Madison Project e-publications to be distributed free of charge nationally to educate the electorate and to make the Project’s work widely known to all citizens; and (3) an expanded and reimagined Free Speech Week in October 2024 and annually thereafter.

• Podcasts.  The Madison Project will conduct a series of six to nine podcasts in which guests discuss the First Amendment implications of one of the key issues we’ve identified, or an issue of their choice related to the First Amendment and the future of democracy.  The goal will be to create informative and educational podcasts that delve into issues related to speech, press, and democracy, yet are engaging and interesting to the average citizen.

• E-Publications.  Major resources coming out of The Madison Project will be two digital publications.  The first will be a “Voter Guide to Media and Democracy” published before the elections take place in November 2024.  This publication will feature an innovative “how to” format, guiding voters through a step-by-step process of assessing information they receive about political candidates and races.  It will also contain additional resource materials prepared by experts in the field of media literacy.  The Voter Guide will be a non-partisan and non-political primer on media literacy for voters in the age of social media.  The second publication, to be released in the fall of 2025, will be a unique assessment of the state of free speech, free press, and the First Amendment, and their impact on American democracy.  It will evaluate factors that appear to be weakening these freedoms, assess the impact that any such weakening is likely to have on the democratic process, and chart a course forward to preserve a strong democracy.

• Free Speech Week.  This is the nationwide event created by The Media Institute in 2005 and held every October, celebrating America’s constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.  The Madison Project will enable the Institute to launch a reimagined Free Speech Week 2024 that will include in-person signature events, a greatly expanded collection of First Amendment and free speech resources, new activities for schools, and a redesigned FSW website that will facilitate free-speech inquiry and activity throughout the year as a constantly updated resource.

The Madison Project will offer distinctive insights into the impact of free speech and free press on American democracy today, assess challenges and threats, and chart a course forward to maintain these essential freedoms as the bulwark of our democracy.  In the process, the Project will enable more Americans to become better educated about these freedoms, to become better consumers of information, and to engage more fully in the work of democracy through their words and actions.

Sponsorship Opportunities

We are looking for a small number of engaged donors who wish to make a difference by supporting a high-impact project committed to preserving American democracy.  For information about becoming a corporate or foundation donor – including extensive recognition and other benefits – please contact Institute President Richard T. Kaplar.