Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign team has been subtly manipulating news headlines in Google search results to give the impression that major media outlets support her, according to Axios.
This revelation comes amidst critics questioning Harris for keeping a distance from significant interviews and media appearances since declaring her candidacy for president.
The modified headlines, which were all accompanied by a banner that read “Paid for by Harris for President,” were altered without the news outlets’ knowledge, the report stated.
The fake headline campaign involved around a dozen publishers, including well-known outlets including CBS News, PBS, Reuters, The Guardian, and The Associated Press.
Her campaign has even changed headlines of even small publications, such as WDay Radio in North Dakota.
Launching sponsored ads on Google, Harris’ campaign has been linking to actual news articles from different sources with customised headlines and descriptions created, a tactic that Google and industry analysts referred to as “common.”
The headline of one sponsored advertisement that directs viewers to NPR’s website reads, “Harris will Lower Health Costs,” while another healine from AP says, “VP Harris’ Economic Vision – Lower Costs and Higher Wages,” as per Axios.
In another instance, the Guardian headline saying, “VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans – Harris Defends Repro Freedom,” includes supporting text beneath it reading, “VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump’s abortion bans”.
What is media outlets’ take on Harris campaign’s act?
Representatives from the impacted firms, including CNN, USA Today, and NPR, all of which had released positive stories for Harris in recent weeks, claimed they were unaware that their organisations were linked with the campaign.
“While we understand why an organisation 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 spokesperson for the Guardian asserted.
A representative for Gannett, the parent company of USA TODAY, clarified that they were unaware about the Harris campaign’s move about using their content.
As a news organisation, the spokesperson said that they are dedicated to making sure that their stories are disseminated responsibly, upholding the greatest standards of accuracy and integrity.
Despite being deceptive, the strategy does not break Google’s guidelines because the phony advertisements are clearly marked as “sponsored” and “easily distinguishable from search results.”
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Did Kamala Harris campaign say anything on matter?
An insider close to the Harris campaign’s advertising staff claims that the campaign purchases search advertisements that include news links to provide people looking for information regarding the Democrat presidential candidate with more context.
The campaign adhered to Google’s regulations, although some advertisements may not have had the required disclosures when they appeared due to a technical issue in Google’s Ad Library. A Google representative verified the glitch and stated that the company is conducting an inquiry into what went wrong.
“Election advertisers are required to complete an identity verification process and we prominently display in-ad disclosures that clearly show people who paid for the ad,” said the spokesperson.