TMJ4 News wants to make our viewers aware of an advertisement that you may see on our airwaves starting as soon as September 23.
Some people, if not most, will find the images in the ad to be unsettling and inappropriate. Before you see the ad, we wanted to file a report and explain why we are required by law to broadcast it.
Lighthouse reporter Ryan Jenkins spoke with voters to ask how they feel about the aggressive advertising this political season and with a political watchdog group to explain why TMJ4 is mandated to air some of these commercials.
Watch: Voters react to gruesome political ad set to air on TMJ4; Here's why it must be broadcasted
TMJ4 often hears viewer feedback related to political advertising. Last year, a viewer wrote to us and said in part, "While I find all the mud-slinging political ads annoying and ineffective, I feel this one crosses the line."
Another viewer wrote to us regarding a political advertisement last year saying in part, "The Campaign has gone too far and so have you as a station for airing it!"
We asked voters for their thoughts on the aggressive advertising:
"I'm not judging either party however, I think there's too much bashing," said Faye Maliszewski.
"A lot of them are not truths or facts, so that's irritating," said Nevar Raven-Wieder.
Anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, who is running for president via the Constitution Party, has begun airing commercials in swing states, including Wisconsin, that show gruesome images of lynchings of Black people and deceased babies and fetuses. It's an attempt to gain votes and spread pro-life messaging.
"That could be pretty harsh and pretty difficult for people to see," said Marjorie Kreuser, a voter who learned about the commercial from Jenkins. "Even though it's real, it happened. People should be aware, but to see images—I don't know, it's certainly something you wouldn't want children to see and have to explain to them, especially about abortions. Yeah, that's too far."
Other voters believe the intense and graphic images could be effective.
"As long as they're, like I said, truth and facts. Yeah," said voter Nevar Raven-Wieder, when asked if the advertisement could be effective in persuading voters.
"It could help steer some people in a certain direction if what you're showing is graphic imagery that's going to impact somebody but showing something like a lynching? That is just outright wrong," said Nacho Garcia, another voter we talked to in Milwaukee's Third Ward on Monday.
Nick Ramos is the executive director of the watchdog organization The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. He explained why TMJ4 must air even the most controversial ads from politicians.
"You really do not have any choice because of the Communications Act of 1934," said Ramos. "The spirit of the law, it's a federal law, was to try and make sure candidates were able to air their ads without any discrimination and protect free speech at the core of it."
Ramos encourages people to do their own homework outside of watching commercials and acknowledges that the advertisements will continue to come through the end of this election.
"We're going to have political ads for a long time and it's not TMJ4's fault, it's not any of these T.V. stations' fault. It's law," said Ramos.
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