Political ads Coverage

In Depth with Dan: Answering viewer questions about political ads

WRAL ancohr/reporter Dan Haggerty answers viewer questions about political ads as the 2024 election season gets underway.

In Depth with Dan: Answering your emails about political ads

WRAL anchor/reporter Dan Haggerty answers viewer emails about political ads.

In Depth with Haggerty: Political ads and free speech laws

We've been getting lots of questions about a political ad that features a clip of our anchor Gerald Owens. WRAL News does not endorse candidates, but here's why they can use our video and why we have to air it.

Free speech laws allow campaigns to use WRAL video in political ads

We've been getting lots of questions about a political ad that features a clip of our anchor Gerald Owens. WRAL News does not endorse candidates, but here's why they can use our video and why we have to air it.

Dan Haggerty, WRAL anchor/reporter

AI use in political ads could tip the scales of elections

In recent years, artificial intelligence has advanced and its use in political ads has exploded.

Can you spot a fake? AI-generated political attacks ramp up as elections near

Advancements in artificial intelligence enable spoofers to replicate a politician's look or sound. Government regulations are almost nonexistent, and few websites alert users to fakes.

Paul Specht, WRAL state government reporter

Fact check: In Georgia, is it illegal to give water to people in line to vote?

A commercial by Liquid Death is warning Georgians against giving water to voters waiting outside polling places to cast their ballots. PolitiFact checks the company's claim.

Tom Kertscher, PolitiFact reporter

Fed Up With Political Text Messages? Read On.

“Boris, Florida is in trouble,” warned one text message seeking campaign donations — and promising 900% matching funds — for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

Natasha Singer, New York Times

TikTok Failed to Stop Most Misleading Political Ads in Test Run by Researchers.

TikTok failed to catch 90% of ads featuring false and misleading messages about elections, while YouTube and Facebook identified and blocked most of them, according to an experiment run by misinformation researchers, the results of which were released Friday.

Tiffany Hsu, New York Times

Holograms and altered images: North Carolina candidates decry attacks that 'fabricate reality'

North Carolina candidates are crying foul about political ads that present voters with a false, but convincing reality.

Paul Specht, WRAL state government reporter

DRAUGHON DRAWS: Attack of the political attack ads

Friday, Oct. 14, 2022 -- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

Fact check: What was Ted Budd's involvement in proposed abortion bill?

A political ad by the Women Vote Project says Rep. Ted Budd, North Carolina's Republican U.S. Senate candidate, helped write a proposal for tighter federal abortion regulations, showing that he's way out of step with most residents' opinions on abortion. PolitiFact checks the claim.

Paul Specht, PolitiFact reporter

Campaign 'trick?' Political ad touting 'North Carolina values' filmed out of state

A new ad for a North Carolina congressional candidate shows him walking across corn fields with his grandfather, who says they farmed together and need to protect North Carolina values. The farm is in Indiana.

Paul Specht, WRAL state government reporter

Appeals court blocks enforcement of law in Stein campaign ad case

A federal appeals court has blocked enforcement of an elections law at the center of an investigation targeting Attorney General Josh Stein.

Paul Specht, WRAL state government reporter

Fact check: How did Beasley vote in 'armed kidnapper' and 'double murder' cases?

The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently released its third installment in a series of ads attacking Democrat Cheri Beasley. It claims that, while on the state Supreme Court, Beasley voted to reverse the conviction of an armed kidnapper and release a double murderer early.

Paul Specht, PolitiFact reporter

Fact check: Ad attacks Beasley for rulings in sex offense cases

An ad by the National Republican Senatorial Committee says U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley, former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, tossed the conviction of a man seeking sex with a boy online and, in a separate case, "set free" a child porn offender. PolitiFact checks those claims.

Paul Specht, PolitiFact reporter

Fact check: Ad says McCrory appointees 'mandated' textbooks pushing critical race theory

A conservative education group is attacking Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pat McCrory, claiming that while McCrory was North Carolina's governor, he orchestrated the teaching of critical race theory in the state's classrooms. PolitiFact checks the School Freedom Fund's ad.

Paul Specht, PolitiFact reporter

New GOP-funded attack ad calls Rep. Madison Cawthorn a liar

A bare-knuckled attack ad against Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn went on air in his 11th District this past weekend. FEC documents show the ad, "Madison Cawthorn's Lies," was paid for by Results for NC PAC, which is aligned with another sitting Republican, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief

Political advertisements are often designed to mislead viewers

Election season is upon us with the primary election set for May 17 and the general election held on Nov. 8. With it, comes all kinds of advertisements from candidates running for political office.

Political ads are allowed to mislead you and are often designed to do so

Election season is upon us with the general election held on Nov. 8.

Dan Haggerty, WRAL anchor/reporter

Political ad spending surges in NC, boosted by outside groups

Candidates across the political spectrum are pouring millions of dollars into ads in the walkup to North Carolina's May 17 primary elections. The intensity surged this week, fueled by outside financial backers.

Ali Ingersoll, WRAL investigative data journalist

Fact check: Did McCrory support Black Lives Matter protests and condemn 'Trump supporters?'

A new ad by a conservative political action committee attempts to portray Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pat McCrory as someone who supports Black Lives Matter protesters and condemns Republicans. PolitiFact digs up the original audio.

Paul Specht, PolitiFact reporter

In context: Anti-McCrory ad distorts his radio clips

A new ad by Club for Growth Action takes clips from Pat McCrory's radio show and deceptively edits them to paint the former North Carolina governor as a "Trump hater."

Paul Specht, PolitiFact reporter

Editorial: Needs of the state, not loyalty to Trump, should dominate N.C. primary campaigns

Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 -- When voters cast ballots in the 2022 N.C. Republican primary their votes will answer a basic question. It won't have anything to do with education, jobs and the economy, health care, infrastructure, the environment or quality of life. Will the North Carolina Republican Party be controlled by and beholden to Donald Trump?

More than an attack ad: Outside group mails 12-page catalog bashing McCrory in US Senate race

In among the holiday cards and catalogs, some North Carolina found something unusual in the mail this week: a 12-page attack ad in the upcoming Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief