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First Annual Summit on Information, Technology, and American Democracy: Past, Present, and Future

The Center for American Political History, Media, and Technology (CAPT) and the Governance and Responsible AI Lab at Purdue (GRAIL) are proud to host the first annual “Summit on Information, Technology and American Democracy” in Indianapolis on April 30, 2026.

Are you overwhelmed with information? Do you struggle to distinguish fact from fiction? Do you want better tools to navigate a media landscape that divides and distracts us? Join thought leaders in journalism, public policy, and academia to discuss the challenges of journalism and civic education in the age of AI algorithms, and what citizens can do to stay informed.

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Location

The Heirloom at N.K. Hurst
230 West McCarty Street
Indianapolis, IN 46225

Date

April 30, 2026

Event Schedule

"The Game of Democracy or The Paradox of Choice": 10:00AM-12:30PM

Want to know what it is like to be stuck in an algorithm? Come join an interactive performance project led by Purdue University professor William Lewis in the Department of Theatre and Dance and Indiana University professor Sarah E. Johnson and participate in a game show that embodies the process of algorithm sorting and polarized identity formation. Lunch will be provided for all participants. (Registration Required)

 

Registration and Welcome: 12:30PM-1:00PM

 

Political Satire and Free Speech: 1:15PM-2:00PM

Dannagal Young, professor at the University of Delaware and author of Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United States

Ryan Ken, writer, actor and comedian

Moderator: Sage Goodwin, postdoctoral fellow at the Center for American Political History, Media, and Technology

 

Break and Refreshments: 2:00PM-2:15PM

 

History, Journalism, and Democracy: 2:15PM-3:00PM

Victor Pickard, professor at University of Pennsylvania and author of Democracy without Journalism? Confronting the Misinformation Society

Tara Puckey, President and CEO, Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)

Lisa Renze, Indiana Free Press

Moderator: Suzannah Evans Comfort, professor at Indiana University

 

Break and Refreshments: 3:00PM-3:15PM

 

Deepfakes and the Battle for Authentic Information: 3:15PM-4:00PM

Sandra Stevenson, writer, visual editor, curator of Education Week

Julie Olthoff, Indiana State Representative

Samuel Wooley, professor at University of Pittsburg and author of Manufacturing Consensus: Understanding Propaganda in the Era of Automation and Anonymity

Moderator: Daniel Schiff, professor at Purdue University and co-director of the Governance and Responsible AI Lab

 

Break and Refreshments: 4:00PM-4:15PM

 

The Past, Present, and Future of Civic Education: 4:15PM-5:00PM

Jamelle Bouie, columnist for the New York Times

Mary Kate Cary, former presidential speechwriter and director of Think Again at UVA

Moderator: Kathryn Cramer Brownell, professor at Purdue University and Director of the Center for American Political History, Media, and Technology

 

Concluding Comments: 5:00PM

 

Speaker Bios