"The ads, from a straightforward-looking news site called the California Courier, often felt a lot like campaign commercials, linking to articles hammering Democrats in the state, including Gov. Gavin Newsom. Few punched in the other direction, toward Republicans. One said "California Democrats just rewrote their gerrymandering plan so voters will see their partisan map on the ballot this November." Another called Proposition 50, which passed in November, "a scheme critics say is meant to undermine voter-approved protections and entrench one party rule in California.""
"What a reader would not find is any disclosure of the Courier's ownership or funding, including what appear to be ties to a network of conservative organizations in California that, according to one researcher, scaled up a series of right-leaning news sites in three other states just ahead of the 2024 election. According to a review of the ad library maintained by Facebook's owner, Meta, the outlet has spent more than $80,000 since 2021 promoting its stories on social issues and politics, potentially reaching tens of thousands of users on the platform each week."
Facebook users encountered ads from the California Courier that resembled campaign commercials and targeted Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Courier published conservative-aligned stories, such as a video depicting urban decay and anonymous pieces citing "confidential sources" to criticize a left-wing educator. The outlet disclosed no ownership or funding and appears linked to conservative organizations that expanded similar right-leaning sites in other states before 2024. Meta's ad library shows the Courier spent more than $80,000 since 2021 promoting social and political stories, potentially reaching tens of thousands of users weekly. Critics warn these outlets aim to covertly influence elections.
Read at Nieman Lab
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