News & views.
A collection of stories about data, public opinion and politics and news about our firm.
When writing reveals character
We can learn a lot from Eisenhower's writing, which is spare, concise and stripped of the passive voice. Even his edits are instructive. He assumes responsibility for the campaign and uses language that ordinary people can understand. "This particular operation" becomes "my decision to attack."
The Role of Data Visualization in Media
It's not an easy watch, but we highly recommend this multimedia analysis by Vox on America's gun violence epidemic. It's among the most effective examples of data visualization we've seen. The straightforward charts, videos and hand-edits are central to the piece's argument, not distractions or add-ons.
Varsity Blues and Boeing: Trust and Transparency in America
The unfolding scandals over university admissions and air travel safety are best understood along the tragic arc of declining trust in America. It's an arc that goes back, at least, to the Vietnam war, when Americans tipped sharply into cynicism and distrust in institutions of all kinds.
Artificial intelligence keeps California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom up at night. Here’s what he can do about it
Alongside venture capital executive David Beier, Andrew outlines an AI agenda which prioritizes listening to the public.
A 2018 break in political tradition
Not only does the new class of leaders heading to Washington look different from their predecessors, some are also breaking with tradition when it comes to governing.
Storytelling Eats Policy (and Ideology) for Breakfast
In politics and public affairs, you need good stories to communicate the values and purpose which guide you. Policy ideas and philosophical frameworks may be important, but they are secondary to compelling, authentic storytelling. Even objective data, our bread and butter, is most impactful when it tells a good story.
Colin Kaepernick's Counterintuitive Use of Silence
Kaepernick rarely issues his own tweets and does not participate in interviews. It's a counterintuitive approach in today's always on, 24/7 media landscape, in which leaders of all kinds try to shape the public discourse through first person use of social media.
On Strategic Thinking
Yale history professor Beverly Gage offers a thoughtful analysis of the meaning and application of "strategy," a term more widely used than understood. In her view, a strategy outlines how you move toward a goal in the face of obstacles and with limited resources.
Is Facebook Better Off Regulated?
With every new revelation about how Facebook has failed to shepherd its users’ data, Americans’ feelings toward the company have become a bit more chilly.
Making Sense of the Facebook – Cambridge Analytica Saga
As Max Read argues in an incisive New York Magazine piece: "Facebook was being used as it's designed, and that's the problem." Facebook made it remarkably easy to obtain information about its users, who have limited knowledge of what is happening.
“I want to go to the great battlefields of Hue.”
Lamb: “How long will you stay [in Vietnam]?” Caro: I don’t know. That I can’t tell. We stayed in the Hill Country until I felt I could write about the Hill Country…”
What can President Trump Learn From Governor Brown?
The Sacramento Bee published the latest collaboration by David Beier and Andrew Sullivan May 28. In this article, the David and Andrew argue for several categories of Brown lessons for Trump, including vision and values, goal-setting, consistency, mastery of detail, management and delegation.
Letter to the Editor: A Social Compact for Gig Economy Workers
In response to a New York Times editorial, Andrew and his frequent collaborator, David Beier, issue a call for redefining what it means to be a worker. The new definition must include a set of shared principles which address both worker and company concerns, spanning healthcare, education and training.
Automation: Challenges and Opportunities
Alongside David Beier, a venture capital executive who also served as chief domestic policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore, our partner Andrew describes the pressing economic and social challenge posed by workplace automation and suggests several policy remedies. You can read the article on our blog.
Building Government Trust
The business-government relationship is in a moment of high anxiety. And it’s not just the Brexit-to-Trump rise in protectionism; it’s the recent bout of corporate scandal, from Wells Fargo and its Cross-Selling Practices to Deutsche Bank and Mirror Trading, among other examples. This backdrop makes it difficult for business leaders to establish long-term, trustful relationships with government. But, the effort is important and now more so than ever before.
Introducing Hudson Pacific: Data-Driven Public Affairs
We have formed this firm with a single goal in mind: to help our clients win. It may sound simple, but it’s a critical point, and something we consider a guiding principle: we succeed when our clients succeed.
Directing Moneyball Public Affairs Campaigns
The public affairs industry is dominated by old-school consultants who base their counsel on gut instinct or trade on relationships. We have more data and computing power at our fingertips to inform smart decisions than ever before, yet the industry resists a Moneyball upgrade. It’s a confounding situation.
Moneyball Public Affairs
As once was the case in baseball, the public affairs industry is dominated by old-school consultants who base their counsel on gut instinct or trade on relationships. A recommendation that client engagements should be built on a foundation of data is often met with blank stares. “What could a poll tell us that we don’t already know about a client’s situation?” But without evidence, how do you know your advice is sound?