Editor’s note about the airing of graphic anti-abortion political ads on WDIV

You may have seen a graphic political ad on WDIV on Friday.

The ad is aimed at anti-abortion rights activist and presidential candidate Randall Terry.

Federal law limits WDIV’s ability to reject or modify political advertisements from candidates for elected office, regardless of the graphic nature or offensiveness of the content of the advertisements.

Because Advertiser is a legally qualified candidate running for President of the United States, we are obligated, in consultation with our station attorneys, to provide the candidate reasonable access to purchase appropriate airtime on our station; In addition, we have confirmed that under federal law, the ad may not be censored in any way or its content may be changed by the broadcaster.

The ad will run in at least 12 states in the US before the election.