Big-money investors are propping up partisan websites to fill the local news vacuum

Political groups on both sides of the aisle are throwing money and resources at propping up local, partisan websites that are often designed to appear as straight news. Some of these sites are leveraging Facebook advertising to boost their content. This means local news deserts in America are being displaced by big-money politics, and the trend is accelerating ahead of the 2020 election, thanks in large part to technology. What's often missing from these websites are adequate disclosures about funding and accountability, argues Newhouse School of Public Communications professor Jennifer Grygiel. Grygiel argues that technology, and Facebook in particular, has made it easier for partisan news outlets to buy up ads to promote their stories and agendas. She says the disclosure mechanisms on Facebook could be stronger.