The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.

Due South

The shadowy world of political advertising, an excerpt from WUNC's podcast The Broadside

By Leoneda Inge,

Anisa Khalifa, Cole del Charco

Published October 8, 2024 at 10:20 AM EDT

A Pittsboro polling place with scattered individuals and a thicket of political signage. — A Pittsboro polling place in November 2020 with a thicket of political signage.

Today, an excerpt of WUNC's podcast The Broadside for our Purple Ballot series.

This year, a record $12.3 billion will be spent on US political campaigns.

The majority of that is earmarked for political advertising, particularly in battleground states like North Carolina.

But where does that money go, and what exactly does it buy? The answers might surprise and alarm you.

Guest

Anisa Khalifa, Host The Broadside

Tags

Due South Purple Ballot

Leoneda Inge

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.

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Anisa Khalifa

Anisa Khalifa is an award-winning podcast producer and host at WUNC. She grew up in a public radio household, and fell in love with podcasts shortly before her friends convinced her to start one with them about Korean dramas. Since joining WUNC in 2021, Anisa has produced Me and My Muslim Friends, CREEP, Tested and Dating While Gray, and is the host of WUNC's weekly podcast The Broadside.

See stories by Anisa Khalifa

Cole del Charco

Cole del Charco is an audio producer and writer based in Durham. He's made stories for public radio's All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Marketplace. Before joining Due South, he spent time as a freelance journalist, an education and daily news reporter for WUNC, and a podcast producer for WFAE in Charlotte.

See stories by Cole del Charco