By Stephen Oduntan
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — Billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer has spent more than $115 million on television, radio and digital advertising across the state, outspending his rivals combined and dominating the state’s airwaves, according to industry analysts.
But as campaign spending reaches record levels, questions remain about where that money is going — and who may be left out.
Black-owned media analysts, for example, say it plainly: Political candidates throughout California frequently want Black votes but have little regard for Black voters — at least as it relates to their media institutions.
NEWS ANALYSIS
“They’re not spending money with us, period,” said John Warren, chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association — a trade organization comprised of the nation’s 250-plus Black-owned newspapers. “They don’t think we’re important.”
Warren, publisher of the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, said he is not aware of any reliable statistics tracking how much campaign ad spending reaches Black-owned media — a gap that makes it difficult to hold candidates accountable.
The disconnect reflects what advocates and media analysts describe as a haunting consistency in modern political campaigns: candidates rely heavily on Black voters at the ballot box but often do not invest in the institutions that serve them.
Erica P. Loewe, White House director of African American Media under former President Joe Biden, said such disconnect undervalues the potency and influence of Black-owned media outlets.
“Campaigns cannot claim to value Black voters while treating Black-owned media as an afterthought,” said Loewe, also a former aide to U.S. Rep. James Clyburn. “Too often, media buying decisions rely on traditional metrics that ignore the cultural influence and trust Black media holds.”
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, an award-winning author and media critic, agrees, adding that the lack of spending is far from accidental.
“There’s been a consistent pattern where Black voters are relied upon, but Black media is not prioritized in campaign spending,” he said.
That pattern is playing out in the governor’s race, where Steyer has spent heavily on advertising statewide but has not disclosed how much money – if any – has gone to Black-owned outlets. In fact, none of the major campaigns contacted for this story — including Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter and Chad Bianco — provided detailed figures on how much, if any, of their ad spending has been directed to Black-owned media.
Steyer spokesman Ariana Andrade said Steyer’s campaign has spent advertising dollars aimed at Black communities but did not provide a breakdown of how much was spent with of Black-owned outlets.
“Our campaign launched early targeted paid media to the Black community, partnering with our coalition of working Californians and progressive leaders and will continue these communications through Election Day,” Andrade said in a statement.
The prominence of advertising in the governor’s race also was evident in this week’s gubernatorial debate, where candidates referenced ongoing ad campaigns and attacks, such as ads released by Steyer targeting opponents.
But while campaign messaging continues to play a central role in the race, it remains unclear how much of that spending is reaching Black-owned media outlets. Overall campaign spending is closely tracked, but detailed breakdowns by media ownership — such as whether ads are placed in Black-owned outlets — are not publicly disclosed.
Industry data nationally underscores the broader gap. Black-owned media outlets garner an estimated 1% to 2% of total U.S. advertising spending of some $350 billion, according to Ad Age, despite their collective reach among key audiences.
Advertising industry experts such as AdImpact track total campaign ad spending, but there is no standardized public reporting that shows how those dollars are distributed across different types of media ownership. Campaign finance disclosures typically report spending in aggregate, making it difficult to determine where ads are ultimately placed.
That lack of transparency limits the ability to independently verify whether campaign spending is reaching Black-owned media, even in races where candidates emphasize outreach to diverse voters, experts say. Without that data, claims of targeted engagement are difficult to evaluate.
That uncertainty is reflected in what Black media leaders say they are experiencing on the ground. Regina Wilson, executive director of California Black Media, said she has not identified any meaningful engagement with Black-owned outlets in the current governor’s race.
“I’m not seeing that yet,” Wilson said, referring to whether Black media organizations are being approached for ad buys. She said the lack of investment represents a failure among campaigns seeking to connect with voters on issues that directly affect their communities.
“It’s a missed opportunity to speak directly to the community and convince them,” Wilson said. Campaigns that want to effectively reach Black voters must engage with institutions already rooted in their communities, including local media, she added.
“For any candidate who’s running for office, it’s a wise investment to ensure that they’ve included Black-owned media.”
Stephen Oduntan is a freelance writer for Wave Newspapers.
