Thousands of North Carolinians — mostly women — were targeted with Facebook and Instagram ads shortly before the last midterm elections that shared a dire message: A little-watched race could determine whether abortion would remain legal in the state.
“Reproductive freedom in North Carolina could come down to this fall’s elections for two seats on the state Supreme Court,” said one post from a state-based news outlet called Cardinal & Pine. Republicans in the state were nearing a supermajority in the legislature, “potentially making N.C.’s high court the last bulwark for abortion rights.”
Cardinal & Pine, which promises readers “fact-based, audience-centered journalism” on its website, boasts as many Facebook followers as the longtime North Carolina newspaper, the Winston-Salem Journal. It employs several journalists and publishes stories ranging from politics to lifestyle content.