Social media platforms such as Facebook and Google are not legally required to report information about who is behind political ads on their sites. Archives such as the Facebook Ad Library are provided voluntarily and can be unreliable and difficult to use. These tools from research groups can help you track trends on how voters in your state are being targeted by political ads. Hear about how these resources can help you report on this: Ad Observatory, Ad Observer, Open Secrets/, Wesleyan Media Project/.
This session is designed for:
- Political and data journalists
- Anyone interested in or working on audience engagement
This session is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is part of the ONA20 Knight Series, which is made up 10 short, impactful discussions focused on practical tools to support the journalism community, such as combating mis/disinformation, improving email newsletters, connecting diverse talent with organizations committed to more equitable newsroom culture and more. See the schedule for the series, as well as Knight's other ONA20 offerings, at this link.
