ABSTRACT

The Common Core English language arts standards recognize advertising messages as "argument" – emphasizing a focus on purposes, techniques, and audiences. The National Social Studies standards also make references to the evolving role of media in society as well as how advertising and social media have become key parts of the political process. With a multitude of ads being posted on YouTube, as well as being broadcast on television and cable, accessing these messages for teaching purposes is easier than ever. Most campaign ads meet the common definition of propaganda: "Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view." A non-profit website, the Political Ad Archive, was established by a group of foundation funders to provide "a searchable, viewable, and shareable online archive of 2016 political TV ads, married with trustworthy fact-checking and reporting".