Kamala Harris’ campaign is making headlines—literally.
In a bold and controversial move, the Vice President’s team has been manipulating Google search ads to make it appear as though major news outlets like Reuters, CBS News, and CNN are fully backing her presidential bid. This revelation, brought to light by an analysis from Axios, has sparked a firestorm of criticism and raised serious questions about the ethics of such tactics.
In an apparent bid to maintain the positive momentum she’s enjoyed since taking over President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, Harris’ team has crafted search ads that mirror legitimate news headlines. But there’s a catch: these headlines aren’t actually written by the news organizations in question. Instead, they are crafted by Harris’ campaign to give the illusion of widespread media support, making it seem as though these outlets are cheerleading for her presidency.
While these ads are marked as “sponsored” and don’t technically violate Google’s policies, the strategy has nonetheless raised eyebrows. Critics argue that this tactic borders on misinformation, as the altered headlines could easily mislead voters into believing that these prominent news organizations are more supportive of Harris than they actually are.
In contrast, Donald Trump’s campaign hasn’t employed similar tactics, according to Google’s ad transparency center. This stark difference in approach highlights the lengths to which Harris’ team is willing to go to sway public perception in her favor.
The timing of this revelation is particularly striking, given that Harris has yet to participate in a single interview or hold a press conference since launching her presidential bid 24 days ago. Despite this media silence, her campaign appears eager to shape the narrative through other means, even if it means bending the truth.
The fallout from Axios’ reporting has been swift and intense, particularly among pro-Trump and conservative circles. One prominent MAGA account on X (formerly Twitter) expressed outrage, writing, “Holy smokes Kamala is now editing news headlines in her ads in an effort to rewrite history—and she’s not even getting approval from the outlets.” The user went on to accuse Harris of employing “Marxist principles” allegedly instilled by her Jamaican-American father, reflecting the deep distrust many on the right have towards her.
A source familiar with Harris’ campaign ads team defended the practice, explaining to Axios that the goal is to provide voters searching for information about the Vice President with more context. However, this explanation has done little to quell the growing controversy. The tactic involves purchasing search ads that resemble real news results and placing them prominently in search rankings. The approach has been so effective that even the news outlets themselves were reportedly caught off guard.
A spokesperson for The Guardian expressed concern over the practice, stating, “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.” The Guardian has indicated that it will be reaching out to Google for more information.
CNN, USA Today, and NPR—whose links were also featured in Harris’ campaign ads—have similarly distanced themselves from the tactic, with spokespeople for all three outlets claiming they were unaware their brands were being used in this manner.
This is not the first time a political campaign has come under fire for manipulating news content. Facebook, for instance, banned the ability for advertisers to edit text from news links in their ads back in 2017, citing concerns about the spread of misinformation and false news. Despite this, Google has defended its platform, arguing that the “sponsored” label on ads makes them “easily distinguishable from Search results.”
But for many, this defense rings hollow. The concern is not just about the labeling but about the broader implications of a campaign crafting headlines that could deceive voters into believing they are consuming unbiased news. As one pro-Trump influencer put it on X, “Is there anything they don’t lie or cheat on?”
As the Harris campaign continues to navigate the treacherous waters of the 2024 presidential race, this latest controversy serves as a stark reminder of the increasingly blurred lines between politics and media. With the stakes higher than ever, both candidates and voters alike must remain vigilant in discerning fact from fiction.
