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Decoding campaign ads

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Decoding campaign ads
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A political science class at Fullerton College is sorting through campaign mailers to learn how to decode attack ads and who pays for them, and to understand how candidates try to sway voters. The exercise holds a few lessons for the rest of us as well.

In Jodi Balma's political science class, students broke into groups with piles of mailers sent out in the 45th Congressional district, where incumbent Republican Michelle Steel is facing off against Democrat Derek Tran. They tallied up the negative and positive ads, analyzed the colors and messaging, and noted who paid for them.Balma said learning how to"diagnose" campaign ads is a skill students can take throughout their voting life. Voting early can help slow the flood of campaign ads to your mailbox. Sophisticated campaigns tailor their mailers to people they think they can sway.A political science class at Fullerton College is sorting through campaign mailers to learn how to decode attack ads and who pays for them, and to understand how candidates try to sway voters. There are some lessons for the rest of us, too.In Jodi Balma's political science class recently, students broke into groups with piles of mailers sent out in the 45th Congressional district, where incumbent . Students tallied up the negative and positive ads, analyzed the colors and messaging, and noted who paid for them.Balma said learning how to"diagnose" campaign ads is a skill students can take throughout their voting life. "When you actually critically look at it in a classroom, you get a very different perspective than when it's in your mailbox," Balma said."And so teaching that skill stays with the students forever."Generally, political ads have to disclose who paid for them. California's Fair Political Practices Committee has a handyIf you think an ad violates the rules, you can upload a photo of it or send a link to the FPPC'sVoting early can help slow the flood of campaign ads to your mailbox. Sophisticated campaigns tailor their mailers to people they think they can sway.for a guide to help you fill out your ballot. We don't do endorsements. But we do help you break down the races, measures and issues that impact you most of all. Before you read more, we wanted to take a moment to tell you about our mission here at LAist, and why we're so dedicated to helping you get ready to vote. In the lead-up to this important election, our hard-working reporters and editors spent hundreds and hundreds of hours researching and writing these detailed guides and fact-based resources. We invested that time because we're here to help you vote confidently and make your community a better place. But we cannot do this essential work without your help. We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you. At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater, many newsrooms are facing cutbacks, including LAist. Member support — your support — is what will sustain a free press in Southern California. LAist’s mission is to be here for you, so please be here for us now with a donation to power our trusted local reporting. Step up right now and make the choice to give. Because that’s exactly what it is — a choice. It's choice with consequences. If readers do not choose to step up and donate, the future of fact-based news in Southern California will not be as strong.Thank you for your generous support.

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