Transparency in Political Advertising: Assessing the Utility and Validity of the FCC's Online Public Inspection File System
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: This research explores the usability of the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC's) online Public Inspection Files to measure the sources and quantities of political advertising on broadcast television. We compared data from FCC files with data purchased from a commercial vendor in a presidential caucus campaign that stretched across nine months, including advertising sponsored by over 40 groups and totaled tens of millions of dollars. The FCC-derived and commercial data were consistent in reporting the quantity of advertising, but sponsor identification was inconsistent between data sources, raising concerns about the FCC's ability to disclose reliable information about political ad spending.
Source: Journal of Information Policy
Authors: Jay Newell, Jeffrey Layne Blevins
Institutions: Iowa State University, University of Cincinnati
Language: English
Topic: Media Influence and Politics
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3141121685