This post appears on Medium – click here to read the full article. Below is a short excerpt.
As the COVID-19 pandemic reshapes life in the 21st century, the news industry’s long history does not protect it from fundamental change. One major issue the crisis has illuminated is many advertisers’ reluctance — for brand safety reasons — to advertise against news.
Since early March, many people have been living largely isolated lives as the novel coronavirus has spread around the world. Their one guaranteed source of information since the start of the pandemic has been high-quality news – especially local news outlets. However, even as these news outlets have received renewed attention from readers, their staffs are grappling with how to continue delivering critical news with reduced revenue and resources resulting from the crisis.
The News Media Alliance and Digital Content Next call on digital advertisers and digital advertising companies to stop using keyword blocking practices that jeopardize the sustainability of high-quality journalism during this critical time.
With the rise of digital and programmatic ad buying, brand safety risks have increased, as has advertiser awareness of ad placement.
With the onset of digital media and subsequent migration to digital marketing, concerns regarding personal data privacy have spurred new protective regulations for consumers. As a result, we may be on the cusp of a change to the digital advertising playbook.
