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Campaign ads have always been a little ridiculous. And with the US midterm elections approaching, this year’s ads seem as wild as ever. Which candidates are promoting their actual policies? Who’s distancing themselves from their own political party? And who’s trying to get in the news by any means necessary?
In this episode, Jena and Michelle break down the themes, messages, and creative choices behind some of this year’s most talked-about campaign ads from both sides of the aisle. They also discuss Jena’s experience working on Meta’s political ads policies, and dive into how political ads work on social media, where regulation falls short, and why there are no easy answers when it comes to political advertising online.
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Find us online!
Read our writing about elections:
Big year for democracy, Michelle Ciulla Lipkin’s letter to the NAMLE community, January 2024.
Coverage of female presidential candidates, Michelle Ciulla Lipkin’s letter to the NAMLE community, September 2024.
Prepping for election night, Michelle Ciulla Lipkin’s letter to the NAMLE community, November 2024.
Check out our recs:
$137 million in AI-generated ads flood the midterms, The New York Times, 2026.
Wesleyan Media Project, Wesleyan University.
What do we know about political advertising?, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, College of Media.
Learn more about U.S Media Literacy Week:
Learn more about Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s advocacy on AI:
If artificial intelligence uses your work, it should pay you, Washington Post (op-ed), 2023.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Meta’s AI chatbot is dangerous for kids, The New York Times Opinion, 2025.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Instagram (@hitrecordjoe)
UN appoints Joseph Gordon-Levitt as first global advocate for human-centric digital governance, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2026.
Learn more about Collin Gosselin’s new book:
Collin Gosselin details claims of control, isolation, and forced medication in new memoir, Rolling Stone, 2026.
In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood by Collin Gosselin, 2026.
A new documentary on the Gosselin family is on the way, Netflix Tudum, 2026.
Audio clip sources:
Kamala is for they/them. I am for you., Donald J. Trump (YouTube), 2024.
Just try it, California | Steve Hilton viral ad | California Governor | 2026, Jim Heath Channel (YouTube), 2026.
The ad causing Sarah Huckabee Sanders backlash from conservatives, Politico (YouTube), 2026.
beaubayh (TikTok), 2026.
New ad in Ohio governor race features Acton’s mother calling candidate a liar, 19 News (YouTube), 2026.
Vivek’s ad crosses new lines, NowThis Impact (YouTube), 2026.
Learn more about political and campaign advertising:
Ad Library, Meta.
An ad targeting Susan Collins’ opponent airs in the wrong Portland, The New York Times, 2026.
Ads about social issues, elections, and politics, Meta Policy Details.
Alaska’s Mary Peltola is making Republicans nervous with Senate control at stake, The Guardian, 2026.
Arkansas campaign ad sparks conservative backlash for portraying lazy welfare recipient as white, AP News, 2026.
Backlash as new EU political ad rules kick in, Politico EU, 2025.
“Creepy, weird” Steve Hilton ad denounced by California Republicans, The New York Times, 2026.
Criticism grows over Ramaswamy attack ad featuring Amy Acton’s mother, USA Today, 2026.
Engling, Bayh duel over key differences in Secretary of State race, Indiana Capital Chronicle, 2026.
The Honest Ads Act, explained, Brennan Center for Justice, 2020.
How are politicians able to lie in TV ads?, ABC13 Houston (YouTube), 2024.
Lesson plan: Analyze 2020 and 2024 presidential campaign ads, PBS News Hour Classroom, last updated in 2024.
The Living Room Candidate: Presidential campaign commercials 1952-2024, Museum of the Moving Image.
Meta and Google’s ad ban upends political campaigning in Europe, Tech Policy Press, 2025.
The new Democratic candidate: Progressive, anti-Trump, and jacked, Washington Post, 2026.
Politics, Governments, and Elections, TikTok Advertising Policies.
Public Inspection Files, Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Ramaswamy and Trump gamble on an incendiary ad, as Ohio shows signs it might turn purple again, CNN, 2026.
There’s something missing from Republican ads as the midterms near, The New York Times, 2026.
Trump administration sues to block Alaska’s US Senate result if Peltola wins, Alaska Beacon, 2026.
Twitter joins Facebook in supporting the Honest Ads Act, Engadget, 2018.
Vivek Ramaswamy ad featuring opponent’s estranged mother draws backlash, NBC News (YouTube), 2026.
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About Did You See? with Jena and Michelle
Did you see that? Whether it’s in the news or pop culture, in print or online, we are living in a media overload. It’s a lot to process!
Did You See? is for anyone looking for space to pause and work through the media moments shaping how we see and understand the world.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. ◾
