Democrats’ political committee focused on state legislatures is launching a new affiliated nonprofit whose first move is a digital ad campaign on abortion in Virginia — an early example of Democrats continuing to lean into the issue after a strong midterm performance.
With the most intense period of campaigning only just beginning, Democrats have already invested more than an estimated $124 million this year in television advertising referencing abortion. That’s more than twice as much money as the Democrats’ next top issue this year, “character,” and almost 20 times more than Democrats spent on abortion-related ads in the 2018 midterms.
Without a federal right to abortion, questions about how states can regulate speech about it suddenly become much murkier.
Over the last day, several Instagram accounts run by abortion rights advocacy groups have found their posts or stories hidden with a warning that described the posts as “sensitive content.” Instagram said it was working to fix the problem Tuesday, describing it as a “bug.”
As laws in the United States continue to undergo massive change, one in particular — the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which transfers the right to abortion from federal to state governments — may prompt people to move away from Google and Bing as they rethink privacy. Some believe the decision will have a major influence across the advertising industry.
Exclusives
Spending on abortion-related advertising soared following the leak of the Supreme Court draft option, according to an analysis released Friday by competitive ad tracking firm AdImpact. “Since the beginning of the year, we had seen an average of about 2,000 airings a week relating to abortion,” the analysis notes, adding, “After the leaked draft, that changed dramatically, peaking last week at nearly 20,000 airings.”
The Media Failed When It Used ‘Pro-Life’ Terms
A conversation with the journalist son of the doctor who endured Buffalo’s abortion wars.
A slew of major Hollywood studios with business in the state finally spoke up about how the “highly restrictive legislation” may require them to reevaluate taking productions there. Following similar announcements by Netflix, Disney and WarnerMedia were Viacom, CBS, Sony, AMC and NBCUniversal.
WarnerMedia has joined the chorus of industry voices speaking out against Georgia’s new abortion law, which was signed by the governor on May 7. WarnerMedia is currently filming The Conjuring 3 in the state and will soon shoot the Suicide Squad sequel there. On the television side, Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams’ show Lovecraft County and The Outsider, executive produced by Jason Bateman, are both in production in Georgia for HBO.
“Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement.
Walt Disney Co-Chief Executive Bob Iger says it would be “very difficult” for the media company to keep filming in Georgia if a new abortion law takes effect because many people will not want to work in the state. Disney has filmed blockbuster movies in Georgia such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, and it would be a blow to the state’s efforts to create production jobs if the entertainment giant stopped filming there.
