This pattern isn’t isolated to Americans; similar trends are seen in the media brands Britons trust the most.
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Aligning your brand with Democratic or Republican-leaning publishers
While the vast majority of our clients have wanted to align with publishers that maintain a more neutral stance, certain brands will request to blacklist publishers that lean too far right or left.
Understanding this ecosystem will be critical to your success in the coming years, as some publishers may begin to crank out more propaganda while others face more extreme censorship.
Understanding the political backing behind mainstream media conglomerates
Sparked by The Washington Post story, my co-founder, Kristin Tynski, and I wanted to take this research further than consumer trust.
We decided to investigate the potential hidden political agendas behind the largest media conglomerates based on political donations made by their ownership.
For this mission, we looked at data from the Federal Election Commission.
Immediately, we proved our thesis:
Political contributions on behalf of media political action committees (PACs) and their owners spiked ahead of key election cycles when funding and media narratives are most critical.
During the 2023-2024 election cycle, Michael Bloomberg emerged as a significant political donor, contributing approximately $43.5 million to Democratic causes and $1 million to Republican causes, positioning him as the top donor to Democratic efforts at the federal level during this period.
The Independence USA PAC, founded by Michael Bloomberg, exemplifies how media conglomerates back PACs that shape both publisher narratives, policy making, and election outcomes.
Bloomberg hasn’t been alone in his mission, with dozens of individual media owners donating millions of dollars every election cycle.
Next, we explored the Harvard US Media Index, where dozens of media owners donated millions of dollars to support GOP and Democratic parties in the past election.
While understanding individual donors and their political stances is one part of the puzzle, the intricacies are complex and require you to factor in all the above charts and insights while staying informed as more companies merge into one.
Although digital PR teams face a polarized media landscape, we must learn how to adapt in a world where content placement decisions will be increasingly scrutinized for perceived political bias, and brands must decide how they toe the line.
Regardless, even with inherent media biases, digital platforms remain one of the most trusted news platforms for U.S. adults, and brands will continue to invest in digital cross-channel consumer engagement for years to come.
Dig deeper: Decoding ad spend: Key insights from the 2024 presidential election
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