So⊠how do we all feel about political ads?
Image: Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket
Hulu will start running political ads on controversial issues like guns and abortions, reversing its policy of rejecting ads centered around those topics, parent company Disney recently confirmed.
đș A deeper dive⊠â#BoycottHuluâ became a top-trending hashtag on Twitter last week after several national Democratic orgs complained to WaPo that Hulu had rejected their ads on abortion and guns, while ESPN and a local ABC affiliate â both also owned by Disney â had accepted and ran them.
- Two days after the WaPo report was published, Disney unveiled new Hulu ad guidelines it says are the same as those used by its cable networks like FX and ESPN.
- Previously, Huluâs ad policy prohibited content âthat takes a position on a controversial issue of public importance (e.g. social issues).â
đ€ To get technical: Broadcasters are required by law to accept ads from political candidates on any topic, no matter how controversial or inaccurate, with the exception of graphic content like obscenity. Thereâs no such requirement for streaming services or other digital providers.
đłïž Looking ahead⊠This November is expected to be the first election where streaming ads â aka connected television (CTV) ads â will play a somewhat significant role.đ
- Of the top five most popular streaming platforms in the US, just Hulu and HBO Max currently offer ad-supported versions, though both Netflix and Disney+ have announced plans to join their ranks by 2023.
+On the social media side: Twitter and TikTok donât allow political ads, while YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat do.
đ Flash poll: How do you feel about political ads on streaming services?
See a 360° view of what the media is saying â
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that allowing political ads on Hulu raises thorny questions for the platform, including whether it will offer any transparency into how much political groups and campaigns are actually spending on those ads, whom they're targeting, and what they're saying.
- Others contend that Hulu shouldnât be in the business of deciding which political ads are okay to show and which arenât, and accused the company of using shady tactics to bar âcontroversialâ topics from being shown.
- âHulu's reversal on political issue ads opens a new can of wormsâ âIssie Lapowsky, Protocol
- ââOutrageous political censorshipâ: Hulu blocks Democratic ads hitting GOP on abortion rights, gunsâ âJulia Conley, Salon
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Huluâs decision to reverse a ban on Democratic ads covering gun control and abortion is a clear sign that Big Tech â and Disney in particular â are âownedâ by Democrats, and will do whatever they say.
- Others contend that Huluâs initial decision was a far cry from âcensorship,â as many Dems were hysterically calling it, since individual companies have the inherent right to not host content that it doesnât want to.
- âHulu forced to adopt woke orthodoxyâ âNicole Russell, Washington Examiner
- âHulu Blocking Democratsâ Ads Is No More âCensorshipâ Than Social Media Removing Harassmentâ âMike Masnick, TechDirt
- âââToo good to checkâ âBecket Adams, NewsPlusLife
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