Replication Data for Public Perceptions of Television and Online Political Advertising

For decades, television has dominated political advertising, but that is changing due to the rise of advertising online and on social and digital media. How do people view online political advertising, and how does this compare to their views of television advertising? To address these questions, we examine a nationally-representative survey of 1,200 U.S. adults that was fielded in February 2021. The survey contains a series of experiments in which the description of advertising (generic, television or online) is altered. We find, in general, that people view online advertising more favorably than television advertising. We also find that, in some instances, age influences views of advertising. This study provides some of the first evidence of how Americans view online political advertising. Understanding what people think about online advertising can shed light on the potential impacts of online ad exposure, such as persuasion and participation, and people’s attitudes toward online advertising should inform proposals for its regulation.