HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — This year marks mid-term elections, which means you'll see a lot of political ads flooding your tv screen.
Primary election season is upon us and some of those ads will inevitably make outlandish claims.
Some Verify viewers asked if candidate ads have to tell the truth.
So, let's verify!
THE QUESTION:
Are political ads required to be factual in order to be aired on broadcast television?
THE SOURCES:
- The Federal Trade Commission
- Federal Communications Commission
- UAH Political Science Part-Time Lecturer, Emily Peck
- C-SPAN
THE ANSWER:
No, the rules for political ads are very different than typical consumer products.
WHAT WE FOUND:
In fact, the law allows politicians to say almost whatever they want in a commercial.
This is because political ads are regulated by the FCC, which applies just two rules.
UAH Political Science Part-Time Lecturer, Emily Peck explains, "One is equal time, which is you have to give candidates equal time on your medium, reasonable access for community organizations to have access to be able to broadcast their events."
Also, "The FCC does not ensure the accuracy of statements that are made by candidates or issue ads," said Peck.
The only consequence for politicians who produce misleading or false ads is in court.
Peck said what you should be aware of is how the candidate is spinning the ad. She gives an example of former President Donald Trump when he was campaigning for office at the Madison City Schools Stadium back in 2016.
More than 20 thousand people showed up, and some were turned away. However, Peck said, "If you listen to him in the following days, he went on ABC, NBC, CBS, saying over and over and over again, 'I gave a speech at an Alabama football stadium, and there were so many people that they had to turn them away. Now, if someone in Massachusetts, or Washington state hears Alabama football stadium, they're thinking of the football stadium in Alabama at Tuscaloosa that seats more than 100,000 people."
So, this election season, Peck says to take every political ad you see with a grain of salt.