Climate obstruction and Facebook advertising: how a sample of climate obstruction organizations use social media to disseminate discourses of delay

Abstract

In this article, we present the results of a content analysis of a sample of fossil fuel corporations, industry associations, and advocacy groups’ ads using Facebook ad services during the election year from January 2020 to January 2021. Creating a messaging typology, we analyzed 30,100 ads on Facebook and found that different organizations used these messages to reinforce pre-existing beliefs on the importance of fossil fuels. In doing so, these organizations can use Facebook to reassert their interests in the public voice and support standards of behavior that rely on fossil fuels, protecting their industries. Additionally, we found differences between the types of messaging and ads targeted to particular users by age, gender, and state. These ads represent the evolving misinformation playbook from climate obstruction organizations that require further attention and consideration, particularly via social media platforms that may have limited or unclear regulations.