Setting the record straight: Why news anchors appear in political ads

BILLINGS — As political advertisements surge, it's become more common to see candidates' ads include clips of news anchors and broadcasts, which has generated confusion for voters.

These clips are allowed to be used due to something called the Fair Use Doctrine, which states that clips of newscasts are free to use because they're considered public information.

Louis Jacobson with PolitiFact said that ads containing clips of broadcasts have become more popular in the last decade and as long as the clip isn't too long, there isn't much news stations can do about it.

"As long as you don't steal an entire newscast, it's not a problem for anybody to use that," Jacobson said in an online web call Wednesday afternoon. "To be honest with you, these news outlets don't have a say in what is used and what isn't."

Jacobson said that the claims in these ads, which are commonly littered with false facts or misleading information, become further from the truth as Election Day gets closer.

"We've seen the number of ads go up the closer we are to the day of election, and the claims made in those ads are often less accurate the closer you get," Jacobson said. "It's a question of shading the truth or sort of bending the truth."

That's why Jacobson said it can sometimes appear like a news station is endorsing a candidate or political party, because a short clip is used out of context to validate other claims.

"It may seem like that anchor is, you know, endorsing that candidate," Jacobson said. "It's not the case."

With Election Day less than a week away, political advertisements have surged and are seemingly everywhere voters look.

"It's in your face all the time, and it's exhausting," Billings resident Colleen Blatnick said downtown Wednesday morning. "It's like harassment in a sort of way."

Other voters, like Ashley Caylor of Laurel, said that the advertisements have become hard to ignore as they pop up on all different types of media.

"I see it every day," Caylor said. "Every day on the news, every day on social media, every day on the radio. You just can't get away from it."

Most voters feel like Billings resident Shanina Wilson, who is tired of the endless repeating cycle and constant bombardment.

"I'm so over them," Wilson said. "Not only do I get the calls, I get the text messages and I see them on the TV shows."

When asked about the confusion of seeing news stations in these advertisements, voters were honest that it sometimes sends the wrong message.

"Sometimes it makes me think that the whole news station in general supports that candidate," Caylor said. "But then you think about it and realize, that's not the case."

Others said it's all a part of the confusion that comes with every presidential election year and that they can't wait for the results come in next Tuesday.

"They're just trying to get the opinion across for everyone whether you guys believe it or not," Wilson said. "I get it, but it's become way too much. I cannot wait for the elections to be over."