1. Fact Checking the Ads Dr. Regina Lawrence School of Journalism & Communication & Agora Journalism Center

3. Why are there so many freaking ads? Political TV ad spending will top $4.4 billion for federal races this year, up from $3.8 billion in 2012. One recent TV ad buy [Ohio Gov. John Kasich, $375,000] = more than 7x annual median U.S. household income. By August 2015, there had already been 7x more political ads than at that point in the 2012 election. [source: NPR 8/18/2015]NPR 8/18/2015

4. Why are there so many freaking ads? Two words: Citizens United “Spotting the impact of Citizens United on congressional election spending is like spotting the Great Wall of China from space.” Elizabeth Wilner, Kantar Media Plus two more words: They’re profitable. For consultants and ad firms For media outlets

5. Why bother to fact check? Do political ads really sway the public?

6. Why bother to fact check? Do political ads really sway the public? Not necessarily.

7. When can ads persuade voters? Only when people are exposed to ads [people in non-battleground states aren’t] politically aware enough to process ads not strongly committed partisans (the paradox of exposure/acceptance)

8. Why bother to fact check? Because small #s of voters (one estimate: 916,643 people) are influenced by ads, and they can be enough to sway an election. Because ads do shape news coverage and political conversation. E.g. the “Daisy” adthe “Daisy” ad

9. Why bother to fact check? And they can sow confusion. E.g. Recent research suggests that high levels of negative advertising increase voters’ confusion about where the candidates really stand.

10. Types of ads: Broadcast TV is still the most reliable way for candidates to reach [older] likely voters, but digital is poised to explode

11. Types of political ads Candidate-sponsored vs. third- party ”Positive” vs “Negative” ads:Positive contrast versus attack ads ad hominem vs issue attacks

12. The first step toward fact-checking: How to watch the ads What ARE the claims made in the ad? Does the ad offer evidence or references to back up its claims? Does the ad misrepresent or misunderstand statistics?misrepresent or misunderstand statistics Does the ad use deceptive dramatization?deceptive dramatization

13. Be careful not to simply re-broadcast problematic ads Watch this good example of an effective way to present fact-checking on TV Watch this good example

14. Even conscientious fact-checking doesn’t guarantee incontrovertible conclusions. For example: “workers were actually making more in 1999 than in 2007”: depends on what the words “making more” really mean. Are Jeb Bush’s claims “misleading” because he doesn’t mention draining the state’s rainy day fund?

15. Resources for fact checking FactCheck.org Politifact The Fact Checker The Living Room Candidate TV News ArchiveTV News Archive [coming soon: the Political TV Ad Archive] Center for Public Integrity Honest Ads

16. So, you be the fact checker. What do you think about this ad?this ad

17. Ok, that was easy. What do you think about THIS ad?THIS ad

18. …or THIS ad?THIS