CNN’s Kate Bedingfield Defends Harris Campaign Rewriting News Headlines in Google Ads: Nothing About It Is ‘Unethical’

MATTINGLY An Axios review ░░░░░░░░ that Kamala Harris campaign ░░░░░░░░ been editing news headlines ░░░░░░░░ Google search ads making ░░░░░░░░ appear as if major ░░░░░░░░ outlets some of them ░░░░░░░░ on her side For ░░░░░░░░ a Harris campaign ad ░░░░░░░░ a Link to an ░░░░░░░░ story reads Harris will ░░░░░░░░ health costs Now in ░░░░░░░░ there s no NPR ░░░░░░░░ or even a line ░░░░░░░░ the NPR story that ░░░░░░░░ this Google says other ░░░░░░░░ campaigns have done this ░░░░░░░░ it does not violate ░░░░░░░░ policy because the ads ░░░░░░░░ labeled as sponsored But ░░░░░░░░ ads mimic real news ░░░░░░░░ results so closely it ░░░░░░░░ caught multiple news outlets ░░░░░░░░ guard CNN says it ░░░░░░░░ unaware the brand was ░░░░░░░░ featured this way and ░░░░░░░░ reached out to the ░░░░░░░░ campaign for comment Let ░░░░░░░░ bring back the panel ░░░░░░░░ were trying to figure ░░░░░░░░ out during the break ░░░░░░░░ terms of is this ░░░░░░░░ that s normal Is ░░░░░░░░ something that campaigns have ░░░░░░░░ using How do you ░░░░░░░░ kind of the BEDINGFIELD ░░░░░░░░ Well this is this ░░░░░░░░ part of paid advertising ░░░░░░░░ mean if you are ░░░░░░░░ who s reading a ░░░░░░░░ outlet on your phone ░░░░░░░░ ll see embedded ads ░░░░░░░░ up sometimes in those ░░░░░░░░ that you know on ░░░░░░░░ glance look like a ░░░░░░░░ by the outlet you ░░░░░░░░ reading But if you ░░░░░░░░ t you know if ░░░░░░░░ look at it more ░░░░░░░░ it says sponsored content ░░░░░░░░ mean this is something ░░░░░░░░ the search engines do ░░░░░░░░ s part of the ░░░░░░░░ they generate ad revenue ░░░░░░░░ there s nothing about ░░░░░░░░ that is you know ░░░░░░░░ their terms or is ░░░░░░░░ any way unethical I ░░░░░░░░ this is this is ░░░░░░░░ of the way that ░░░░░░░░ advertising works And you ░░░░░░░░ you ll see it ░░░░░░░░ s certainly not just ░░░░░░░░ campaigns who do it ░░░░░░░░ mean just as I ░░░░░░░░ reading things online sometimes ░░░░░░░░ ll double you know ░░░░░░░░ ll sort of like ░░░░░░░░ look at something because ░░░░░░░░ seems it feels like ░░░░░░░░ s it s an ░░░░░░░░ piece of content And ░░░░░░░░ you see it s ░░░░░░░░ So it is incumbent ░░░░░░░░ the the viewer the ░░░░░░░░ the consumer to have ░░░░░░░░ discerning eye not just ░░░░░░░░ political content but on ░░░░░░░░ advertising.”