This is the Daily Media Update published by the Institute for Free Speech. For press inquiries, please contact [email protected].  

.....The Institute for Free Speech is seeking a skilled communicator with experience in media relations and a proven record of developing relationships with journalists and influencers. This role will support all aspects of the Institute for Free Speech’s work. The Communications Director will understand both traditional media outreach efforts and social media to share the Institute’s pro-speech message. 

Axios: FEC targets digital ad disclosure

.....The Federal Election Commission is taking a significant step towards regulating digital political ads, taking up a measure to force disclosure of paid advertising on leading social and streaming platforms, according to documents posted by the FEC...

The rule would require digital ads to disclose the entity paying for them, according to a draft posted on the FEC website on Thursday.

Reason: A Michigan Mayor Tried To Stop Constituents From Criticizing Her. Now, They're Suing.

....."I'm gonna talk over you. This gonna be one of those meetings ya'll never seen before," Monique Owens, Mayor of Eastpointe, Michigan, told one constituent during a September city council meeting.

Owens repeatedly attempted to shout down speakers during the meeting—even while other council members urged her to stop. For her behavior, she's now facing a lawsuit alleging that she violated constituents' First Amendment rights.

The Atlantic: Book-Industry Activists Should Be Careful What They Wish For

By Conor Friedersdorf

.....In an open letter that began circulating last week, more than 700 “members of the writing, publishing, and broader literary community” are urging Penguin Random House to cancel the publication of a forthcoming title by Amy Coney Barrett. Citing the conservative Supreme Court justice’s vote with the majority in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and declared that the Constitution affords no right to an abortion, the signatories argue that publishing Barrett’s book would put the publisher at odds with globally recognized human rights.

Washington Post: Don’t Cancel Amy Coney Barrett’s Book

By Stephen L. Carter, Bloomberg

.....Kudos to Penguin Random House for sticking to its plan to publish a book by Justice Amy Coney Barrett despite a petition from hundreds of people who work in publishing arguing that the company should cancel the volume due to the author’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.

OpenSecrets: Spend big, win big: 96% of U.S. House races won by the biggest spender

By Taylor Giorno and Keith Newell

.....Of the House races called so far, 96% were won by the biggest spender, a new OpenSecrets analysis found.

Politico: Liberal nonprofit spent $174M in 2021 as big money kept flowing after Trump

.....The Sixteen Thirty Fund took in nearly $191 million and spent $174 million last year, according to a new tax filing obtained by POLITICO. The group distributed over $107 million in grants to other outside organizations on the left, and it spent tens of millions more as the “fiscal sponsor” of other projects housed inside the nonprofit...

Spectrum News 1: Advocates fear super PAC spending could undermine public financing of campaigns

.....Millions of dollars in political giving during the race for New York governor came from one man who hoped to sway the election. Now good-government advocates are worried this could undermine a key change about to take effect for how political campaigns are funded. 

Oregon Capital Chronicle: You need more than money to win an election in Oregon

.....Remember those news stories about the massive campaign contributions on behalf of nonaffiliated Oregon governor candidate Betsy Johnson? For months her campaign treasury outpaced all others; she was the beneficiary of many millions of dollars, including more than $3 million just from Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

As this is written on Wednesday morning, the Oregon governor’s contest isn’t settled yet – Democrat Tina Kotek is barely leading Republican Christine Drazan – but this much we know: Johnson isn’t in the hunt. With about half of the vote counted, she was pulling 8.8% of the vote... 

Read an article you think we would be interested in? Send it to Tiffany Donnelly at [email protected]. For email filters, the subject of this email will always begin with "Institute for Free Speech Media Update."  

The Institute for Free Speech is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and defends the First Amendment rights to freely speak, assemble, publish, and petition the government. Please support the Institute's mission by clicking here. For further information, visit www.ifs.org.