The appearance of a news anchor in a political ad does not mean that the anchor endorses the campaign.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Countless political ads are airing on TV and online this election season, and some of those commercials feature clips from news programs. This well-known tactic involves cutting short clips from news broadcasts, including headlines and statements, and using them to support the campaign’s platform and messaging.
Advertisements run by North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson in recent months feature seconds from WCNC Charlotte’s crime news coverage. Although the original report itself does not mention Robinson’s political opponent, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Robinson’s political ads use it to attack Stein’s effectiveness against crime. Ta.
Some viewers of the ad asked whether Robinson’s campaign needed permission from WCNC Charlotte to use excerpts from the newscast.
question
Does a political campaign need permission from a news station or anchor before sampling clips from a news program for advertising?
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answer
No, political campaigns do not need permission from the owner of a news clip before using it in an ad. Additionally, television stations must air the advertisement if it comes from the candidate himself.
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WCNC Charlotte did not allow Robinson’s camp to use the clip. However, experts say no permission is needed in this case.
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“Based on fair use principles, campaigns can acquire and use public videos and newscasts,” Huffmon said.
The fair use doctrine is a legal framework that outlines the circumstances in which copyrighted works, such as news programs, can be used without a license. These situations can include criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research, and there are multiple factors that determine whether sampling from a work qualifies as fair use.
“One of the rules is that the ad has to add value or commentary. Of course, that’s the case with political ads. That’s why political ads are free to use news programs.” said Huffmon.
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Additionally, FCC regulations state that television stations cannot censor content from political candidates and must accept advertising from all political parties with reasonable access, equal opportunity access, and the lowest cost. I am.
Contact Vanessa Ruffes at vruffes@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook. × And Instagram.
