
<p>That headline looks like it’s from a legitimate news outlet like CNN or NPR throwing their support behind a policy of Kamala Harris&#8217;. The only problem is it&#8217;s a fake headline that has been changed by the Harris Campaign itself!</p>



<p>Harris&#8217; 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 &#8220;common.&#8221; 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 &#8211; Lower Costs and Higher Wages.”</p>



<p>The headlines &#8212; which were altered without the news outlet&#8217;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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.”</p>



<p>“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.</p>



<p>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.”</p>



<p>“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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>The Harris campaign has yet to issue any response or comment on the fake news scandal.</p>

Harris Campaign Creates Fake News Headlines for Google
