Hello, and welcome back. In some interesting news, a family-owned news outlet known as WDAY Radio is contemplating legal action against the Harris campaign and Google. The news outlet asserts that deceptive strategies are being employed, distorting news coverage to depict the vice president in a favorable light.
WDAY Radio reportedly spotted a strange modification in the headline of a news story about Vice President Kamala Harris. According to their observation, the headline was amended on Google Search in a way that made it appear they were endorsing Harris and a few of her campaign initiatives. Furthermore, this was not a single incident. They found other comparable modifications in stories from different national outlets, with reports about Harris featured in Google’s search results. This alleged manipulation is suspected to occur through sponsored ad results that appear at the top of the search engine’s page, which carry misleading headlines.
Steve Hallstrom, the President and Managing Partner of Flag Family Media, the owner of WDAY Radio, voiced his displeasure over this issue. He stated, “They lied to every single person that saw that ad. It’s misleading, it’s dishonest, and it hurts us as a company, our news brand.” The owners are considering their next steps, including the possibility of legal action.
Hallstrom presented two separate headlines that he feels the Harris campaign inaccurately merged, giving his station’s coverage a biased angle. The headlines were “Walz selected as Kamala Harris’ VP pick for 2024 Election” and “Minnesota Child Tax Credit benefits 215,000 Minnesota families.” He alleges that these two unrelated stories were combined and then rewritten to give the false impression of his news organization endorsing Walz.
Steve Hallstrom, president and managing partner of Fieldstone Consulting Group, which operates WDAY Radio in Fargo, North Dakota, said the Harris campaign “lied to every single person who saw that ad.” https://t.co/cr57ICV9B3
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) August 16, 2024
Google’s spokesperson dismissed any policy infringement, attributing the absence of necessary paid-for disclosures in some ads to a “glitch.” However, Hallstrom rejects this explanation, stating, “What happened here was clearly misleading.”
BREAKING REPORT: Harris Campaign and Google Could Now FACE LAWSUIT After Fake News Headline Scheme..
WDAY Radio, a local news station in Fargo, North Dakota, is contemplating legal action after the Kamala Harris campaign allegedly manipulated WDAY headlines to falsely suggest… pic.twitter.com/HZNtZs1QaD
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) August 15, 2024
This incident has sparked criticism from various news outlets. Representatives from AP and Reuters have voiced their concerns and promised investigations into these alleged practices, emphasizing the detrimental impact it has on the credibility of politics and journalism.
Hallstrom also questions the decision behind the Harris campaign utilizing these strategies despite its recent success. He asks, “Who on the Harris staff made the decision that this was a good strategy?” This event continues to ignite the debate about ethics and the principles of communication in politics.
This comes as the vice president and Democratic nominee continue to face backlash for avoiding sit-down interviews and unscripted press conferences. A spokesperson for Harris has assured that she will participate in an interview by the end of the month. The election is quickly approaching, with only 81 days remaining.
