When have defense contractors ever bought ad space in national news? That seems like wasted ad dollars targeting a lot of people who aren't in the market to buy arms.
> James Fetig, a Lockheed spokesman, said that Lockheed resumed running print ads for its own Joint Strike Fighter model in The Washington Post and trade publications on Monday, and only after it saw that Boeing was pressing ahead with radio and print ads.
Leave it to HN to give the most technical answers that miss the point. Newspapers don't get revenue from Twitter ads. Twitter ads and any network ads are targeted based on algorithms and the editors won't even know until the story is published. They can direct sell ads but I seriously doubt any have ever sold ads to defense companies. Nor do newspapers even get most of their revenue from ads anymore, it's subscribers. Hell even the Fox cable channel doesn't need advertisers since they get their money from cable carriage fees. You have to connect way too many dots to say a sponsor is going to be able to bury critical news stories.
I've noticed the podcast Intelligence Matters, all the ads are literally for like the newest Lockheed Martin fighter jet. Surely some of the audience are decision makers about buying those jets, but it can't be the majority of listeners. Granted the host is former deputy director of the CIA, but the content is news of national interest..
Cynical me thinks the ad spending is not specially for viewers, but rather to gain favor and influence on coverage, especially when it comes to justification for conflict.
They definitely advertise in all sorts of media, especially stuff heavily read in Washington. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/20/us/nation-challenged-sale...
> James Fetig, a Lockheed spokesman, said that Lockheed resumed running print ads for its own Joint Strike Fighter model in The Washington Post and trade publications on Monday, and only after it saw that Boeing was pressing ahead with radio and print ads.