Harris Campaign Creates Fake News Headlines for Google
That headline looks like it’s from a legitimate news outlet like CNN or NPR throwing their support behind a policy of Kamala Harris’. The only problem is it’s a fake headline that has been changed by the Harris Campaign itself!
Harris’ team has been launching sponsored posts on Google that link to real news content from various publishers but feature customized headlines and descriptions crafted by her campaign, a practice experts and Google called “common.” One sponsored ad that links to NPR’s website features the headline “Harris will Lower Health Costs.” Another that links to the Associated Press reads “VP Harris’s Economic Vision – Lower Costs and Higher Wages.”
The headlines — which were altered without the news outlet’s knowledge –appear on Google ads paired with a “Paid for by Harris for President” banner. According to Axios nearly a dozen publishers were swept up in the faux headline campaign, including major companies like the Guardian, Reuters, CBS News, the Associated Press and PBS.
The ads include links to real articles from the news outlets, but the headlines and descriptive text had been edited to cast a supportive light on the 59-year-old presidential hopeful.
In addition to the examples already mentioned, one ad that ran alongside an article from the Guardian shows a headline that reads “VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans – Harris Defends Repro Freedom” and includes supporting text underneath the headline that reads, “VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump’s abortion bans.”
“While we understand why an organization might wish to align itself with the Guardian’s trusted brand, we need to ensure it is being used appropriately and with our permission. We’ll be reaching out to Google for more information about this practice,” a Guardian spokesperson said.
Though misleading, the tactic does not violate Google’s policies because the fake ads are prominently labeled as “sponsored” and “easily distinguishable from search results.”
“They also include ‘paid for by’ disclosures so it’s clear to users who paid for them. It’s fairly common for advertisers to link out to or cite external websites, including news sites, in their ads,” a Google spokesperson added.
The shocking report comes as Harris is hiding from the very same press that she is desperately trying to skew in her favor. The VP has yet to do any significant interviews or news appearances since winning the presidential nomination more than three weeks ago.
The Harris campaign has yet to issue any response or comment on the fake news scandal.
Herd
All I know is there are very funny ads all over the Internet.
Here, at PBP, you can click on get a free hat from Trump and the next thing you know you’re giving your email for giant donations. Or, if you click on “have you ever seen this picture” God only knows where you will end up. Here there are advertisements for more solutions that look like skunk water, or other gypsy – like cures, quite regularly.
If Joe is advertising what he uses, it would appear that he’s got one of the most severe cases of ED the world has ever seen. I have never seen so many pills for “hardining”
I think anyone who sees the term “sponsored “at the top of an Internet listing knows that if they click here the result may be a frightening scam.
Matter fact, I can’t imagine anyone clicking on any link that has the word sponsored at the top. Or in the words of the great ones here, it’s legal, get over it.
I think it is this article that is a bit fake. If anything, we learned that Trump had his lawyer Cohen and owner of American Media Inc. David Pecker, write plenty of fake news about his 2016 primary opponents. He ran a story about Senator Cruz that his father was involved in killing Kennedy, ran stories against Senator Marco Rubio that he was a con artist, see *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUD6Q9VAZ80*.
So more than likely, if there is any fake news about Harris, I would first investigate Trump because he has a fake news track record not to mention a conviction for 34 counts of fraud.
Pecker???? I bet he got teased in school. I remember during the fake trial that the news media tried to keep a straight face when peckers name was mentioned
Correction – 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up illegal campaign contributions. His company and his top executives have been convicted of fraud, and he has several judgements of fraud against him. And civil judgements against him for finger raping a woman and then slandering her. I think he owes upwards of $600 M, which he hasn’t paid yet. He’s waiting for his rubes to pay it for him.
It looks like the ads you highlighted are clearly marked “Sponsored”. That should be enough to warn anyone that it’s a campaign ad. By your own admission (or at least the admission of the original story) they do link to actual news stories, which the reader can read if they want. The Harris/Walz campaign has every right to cite news stories in its campaign ads and press releases.
Unlike the Felon Trump campaign and Felon Trump himself, who spew lies after lies to the MAGA cult members. And News outlets like FOX and Newsmax, who repeat every lie without any fact checking or analysis. And what about PBP, who barely-edits stories from other sources that are critical of the Dems (the closest story to this one I saw on Google was from the Hindustan Times), adds an even more alarmist and false headline, and prints these fake news stories to rile up the meager MAGA base?
As the saying goes, “People with glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks”. Clean up your own journalistic integrity before you attack everyone else’s.