Fargo Radio: WDAY Issues Complaint Over Harris Ad

A report this week from the news outlet Axios claiming that the Harris campaign has been editing news headlines and descriptions within Google Ads is impacting a local media company.

In Fargo, ND, WDAY Radio, operated by Flag Family Media, is is among media outlets that has been impacted.

“We feel insulted and violated by what was done here,” Flag Family Media President and Managing Partner Steve Hallstrom said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “A political campaign used our news brand and our URL to lie to people about the headline we wrote.”

Hallstrom said the ad is not acceptable.

“We didn’t write that headline. We didn’t write anything close to it. We didn’t write a news story about that,” he said. “They lied to every single person that saw that ad. It’s misleading, it’s dishonest and it really hurts our news brand.”

Hallstrom said the company has reached out to the Harris campaign Wednesday afternoon, demanding they terminate the ad immediately. He said he has not heard back from the campaign.

“And we are considering all our options here, including legal action,” he said. “What’s been done here is wrong. This isn’t a grey area matter.”