(MIDDLETOWN, CT) October 17, 2024 – The Wesleyan Media Project is releasing the fourth post in a series of regularly updated overviews of issue mentions, this time focusing on the presidential race by media market. Below, we show the percentage of ads mentioning eight key issues tracked by the WMP (abortion, energy/environment, guns, health care, housing, immigration, inflation, public safety). The post covers ads from all sponsors (candidates, parties, and outside groups) aired on broadcast TV in the Presidential race from July 22, 2024 to October 15, 2024. Note that percentages across the columns may total more than 100 percent because ads often feature more than one issue.
Figure includes broadcast TV ad airings (excluding national airings) for the Presidential race from 7/22/24 to 10/15/24.
CITE SOURCE OF DATA AS: Vivvix CMAG with analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project.
Table 1: Issues in the Presidential Race, July 22, 2024 - October 15, 2024
| Market | Airings | Abortion | Energy/ Environment | Guns | Healthcare | Housing | Immigration | Inflation | Public Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total†* | 680,413 | 10% | 20% | 0% | 18% | 26% | 25% | 34% | 32% |
| Pro-Dem* | 347,041 | 20% | 9% | 0% | 28% | 27% | 13% | 29% | 27% |
| Pro-Rep* | 333,101 | 0% | 32% | 1% | 7% | 25% | 37% | 39% | 37% |
| National Network | 1,479 | 13% | 10% | 1% | 12% | 9% | 2% | 19% | 23% |
| National Cable | 4,597 | 14% | 5% | 0% | 20% | 17% | 8% | 17% | 15% |
| † Total includes ads promoting candidates from other parties. * Numbers include broadcast television (excluding national airings). Numbers are from July 22, 2024 - October 15, 2024. CITE SOURCE OF DATA AS: Vivvix CMAG with analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project. |
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Digital Spending on Facebook and Instagram by Geography
The Wesleyan Media Project is excited to share a new web app. This web app was developed by Kelleigh Entrekin ‘25, with the support of Pavel Oleinikov and Sebastian Zimmeck, as part of the Cross-platform Election Advertising Transparency Initiative (CREATIVE). It was inspired by the Regional Ad Spending Web App.
Please click here (or click the image below) to use this interactive tool.
About This Report
Data reported here from Vivvix/CMAG do not cover local cable buys, only broadcast television, national network and national cable buys.
The Wesleyan Media Project provides real-time tracking and analysis of all political television advertising in an effort to increase transparency in elections. Housed in Wesleyan’s Quantitative Analysis Center – part of the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life – the Wesleyan Media Project is the successor to the Wisconsin Advertising Project, which disbanded in 2009. It is directed by Erika Franklin Fowler, professor of government at Wesleyan University, Michael M. Franz, professor of government at Bowdoin College and Travis N. Ridout, professor of political science at Washington State University.WMP personnel include Breeze Floyd (Program Manager), Pavel Oleinikov (Associate Director, QAC), Yujin Kim (Post-Doctoral Fellow) and Meiqing Zhang (Post-Doctoral Fellow).
The Wesleyan Media Project’s real-time tracking in 2024 is supported by Wesleyan University and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Wesleyan Media Project is partnering again this year with OpenSecrets, to provide added information on outside group disclosure and candidate status.
Periodic releases of data will be posted on the project’s website and dispersed via LinkedIn, Bluesky @wesmediaproject.bsky.social and Twitter @wesmediaproject. To be added to our email update list, click here.
For more information contact: media@wesleyan.edu.
About Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn., is known for the excellence of its academic and co-curricular programs. With more than 2,900 undergraduates and 200 graduate students, Wesleyan is dedicated to providing a liberal arts education characterized by boldness, rigor and practical idealism. For more, visit www.wesleyan.edu.
