ONLINE: Politics and Policy: Democracy in the Digital Age

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courtesy La Follette School of Public Affairs

UW-Madison alumna Katie Harbath is a global public policy director for Facebook.

Whether or not you engage directly with social media, its effect on public discourse and the dissemination of information (and disinformation) is undeniable. UW-Madison alumna Katie Harbath has witnessed the phenomenon from the inside during a decade as a global public policy director at Facebook. She will discuss big tech and its increasingly fraught relationship to civic integrity with La Follette School of Public Affairs director Susan Webb Yackee. The talk is this year's Paul Offner Lecture; register here for the livestream.

press release: As social media companies face growing scrutiny among lawmakers and the general public, the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW–Madison welcomes Katie Harbath, a global public policy director at Facebook for the past 10 years, for a livestreamed public presentation.

Harbath, who grew up in the Green Bay area, received her bachelor’s degree in political science and in journalism and mass communication from UW–Madison.

Harbath’s presentation will focus on her experiences and thoughts on the future of social media, especially how tech companies are addressing civic integrity issues such as speech, misinformation, and political advertising. She also will answer audience questions.

The event is free, but registration is required for access. La Follette School Director and Professor Susan Webb Yackee will moderate the discussion.

Harbath’s presentation is part of the Paul Offner Lecture series, which honors the late Paul Offner, a scholar, state legislator, congressional advisor, and educator who left a legacy of applying solid, evidence-driven research to public policy solutions, especially for disadvantaged people.

The hour-long event is co-sponsored by UW–Madison’s Department of Computer Sciences, with additional funding provided by the Kohl Initiative.