"Earlier this year, as the political battle over Congressional redistricting brought California into the national spotlight, Facebook users were shown a curious series of ads. The ads, from a straightforward-looking news site called the California Courier, often felt a lot like campaign commercials, linking to articles hammering Democrats in the state, including Gov. Gavin Newsom. Few punched in the other direction, toward Republicans."
"Another called Proposition 50, which passed in November, a scheme critics say is meant to undermine voter-approved protections and entrench one party rule in California. A reader who clicked through to the Courier's website would find stories that largely align with a conservative view of the news, like a video of a child riding a scooter through San Fran's drug-ravaged streets, or an anonymous piece that cites confidential sources cautioning against a left-wing educator running for a position with an Orange County school district."
Facebook users saw ads from a site called the California Courier that resembled campaign commercials and linked to stories critical of California Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom. The site published conservative-leaning content, including videos and anonymous pieces, while providing no disclosure of ownership or funding. The Courier appears connected to a network of conservative organizations in California that scaled up similar right-leaning news sites in three other states before the 2024 election. The outlet spent more than $80,000 since 2021 promoting stories on social issues and politics via Meta's ad library. Critics warn these innocuous-looking publications aim to influence elections surreptitiously.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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