On Monday, July 16, a group of Washington state legislators visited the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public (CIP) to explore the intersection of research, education, and policymaking in information integrity.
The legislators included:
- Rep. Mia Gregerson, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and member of the Rules and State Government & Tribal Relations Committees.
- Rep. Joe Timmons, Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee and member of the Education and Postsecondary & Workforce Development Committees.
- Rep. Cindy Ryu,Chair of the Innovation, Community & Economic Development & Veterans Committee and serves on the Appropriations and Consumer Protection & Business Committees.
- Rep. Dave Paul, Vice Chair of Transportation Committee and member of Innovation, Community & Economic Development & Veterans and Postsecondary & Workforce Development Committees.
- Rep. Chris Stearns, Vice Chair of the Regulated Substances & Gaming and State Government & Tribal Relations Committees and member of the Capital Budget Committee.
- Rep. Debra Lekanoff, member of the Appropriations, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Environment & Energy, and Rules Committees.
- Rep. Bill Ramos, Chair of the State Government & Tribal Relations Committee and serves on the Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry and Transportation Committees.
- Rep. Sharlett Mena, Vice Chair of the Environment & Energy Committee and member of the State Government & Tribal Relations and Transportation Committees.
CIP, founded with the mission to “resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse,” hosted the legislators to discuss their ongoing research initiatives and educational programs. educational focuses research on synthetic media such as deep fakes and new emerging technologies like Generative AI.
During their visit, legislators learned about CIP’s research on healthier information environments, which incorporates synthetic media, and new technologies like Generative AI. They also learned about CIP’s community-embedded research projects and were briefed on their educational programs and resources, including MisinfoDay, interactive “escape room” games that provide an engaging way to experience and learn about misinformation, intergenerational learning, and efforts with local journalism outlets. Additionally, the discussions delved into potential topics that CIP could provide expertise on to help inform policy decisions at the state level.
Thank you to these legislators for taking the time to visit the Center for an Informed Public and engaging in these vital discussions!