An Introduction to the Illuminating Project

An Introduction to the Illuminating Project

Illuminating is a computational journalism project that empowers journalists covering US political campaigns. The Illuminating data helps journalists see patterns and changes in how candidates address communicate to voters over time. If candidates are spending millions of dollars to micro-target voters on digital media, then someone needs to improve transparency and hold them accountable, explains Dr. Jennifer Stromer-Galley, Principal Investigator of the project.

Illuminating 2020 Report: The 2020 General Election Campaign Advertising on Facebook

Illuminating 2020 Report: The 2020 General Election Campaign Advertising on Facebook

Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump spent a historic $217 million advertising on the Facebook and Instagram social media platforms during the 2020 general election. This report provides analyses by the Illuminating 2020 project for how both campaigns used Facebook and Instagram advertising in the general election campaign, including targeting and messaging.

To Swing or Not to Swing: How Facebook Ads Were Used to Reach Ohio Voters

To Swing or Not to Swing: How Facebook Ads Were Used to Reach Ohio Voters

Ohio has been considered one of the most significant swing states for decades, but for the first time since 1960 the winner did not win the state of Ohio. In this post, we take a look at how the candidates used Facebook and Instagram ads to appeal to voters in Ohio.

Noteworthy News in Nevada: A Retrospective on 2020 Presidential Election Campaign Ads in the Silver State

Noteworthy News in Nevada: A Retrospective on 2020 Presidential Election Campaign Ads in the Silver State

As a swing state with 6 electoral votes, Nevada was integral on the path to winning the 2020 election. Here we take a deep dive into how the official Biden and Trump campaign pages targeted voters within the Silver State.

How Trump Used Facebook Ads in Arizona

How Trump Used Facebook Ads in Arizona

Prior to the election, many analysts predicted that Arizona would be a tight race and a key battleground state for both campaign’s path to victory. Donald Trump ran ads in Arizona from several different Facebook pages. Using data collected by Illuminating, trends about the demographics Trump targeted can be examined, comparing state-specific strategy to what Trump did overall.