Webinar Recap: Funding Quality Journalism Isn’t Just Good for Democracy—It’s Good for Business

On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, Teads and the MMA hosted a webinar titled Funding Quality Journalism Isn’t Just Good for Democracy—It’s Good for Business, where industry leaders came together to discuss the powerful impact of supporting quality journalism, especially during an election year when attention to reliable information is at a peak. In light of increasing misinformation and the pivotal role of news organizations in society, the conversation highlighted how advertisers’ investments in trusted news sources can safeguard democracy and deliver real business value.

Watch the recording

Setting the Stage

The session, moderated by Kate Hunka, Vice President of Membership at MMA Global, began with an introduction by Teads’ Chief Revenue Officer, Mike Dupree. Dupree framed the discussion by addressing Teads’ mission: to foster a responsible advertising ecosystem that funds premium journalism. He highlighted Teads’ commitment to providing premium content environments that support quality journalism and noted the current challenges posed by misinformation and content aggregation. Dupree emphasized that credible news is essential, particularly during significant moments like election cycles, as it offers brands an opportunity to connect with highly attentive audiences.

John Trotter, Senior Insights Director at Teads, presented findings from The Value of Traditional News study conducted in partnership with Lumen. This study demonstrated that advertising in reputable news outlets drives higher attention and positive brand outcomes, debunking the myth that advertising near news content negatively impacts brand perception. Trotter explained that readers of traditional news tend to be highly engaged, and this elevated engagement directly benefits advertisers by improving ad recall, brand choice, and perception.

Download “The Value of Traditional News” eBook here.

Meet the Panel

The webinar continued with a panel of executives across the media industry:

• Rick Corteville, Executive Lead, Global Media COE, Lenovo
• Alexis Williams, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Stagwell
• Jesse Waldele, SVP of Data Operations and Client Success, Dow Jones | The Wall Street Journal
• Mike Dupree, Chief Revenue Officer, Teads
• Jana Meron, Programmatic & Data Strategy Leader, The Washington Post

Key Topics

1. Supporting Quality Journalism The conversation began with Kate noting the 26% drop in U.S. newsroom employment since 2008, highlighting the need for advertisers to support sustainable news models. She asked Alexis Williams and Rick Corteville about the importance of supporting credible journalism from a brand perspective.

• Alexis Williams responded that misinformation, disinformation, and malformation are on the rise due to various factors, including bad actors and technological innovation. She emphasized that the data shows minimal impact on brand perception when advertising is adjacent to news content, and advised brands to evaluate risk on a micro level rather than applying broad exclusions that can hurt quality journalism.
• Rick Corteville highlighted Lenovo’s approach, which focuses on engaging their audience through trusted publishers with a history of credible reporting, such as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Lenovo recently partnered with Teads and Lumen to measure attentive seconds and dwell time on ads placed within traditional news, finding positive results that encourage continued investment in these environments

2. Brand Safety in News Environments Kate introduced this topic by noting that brand safety tools can unintentionally limit exposure on reputable news sites. She asked Jana Meron and Jesse Waldele about misconceptions surrounding news content and brand safety.

• Jesse Waldele explained that many brands mistakenly believe that being near negative content harms their perception. However, research shows no correlation between the two. He shared an example: while 85% of WSJ content is safe according to standard measures, clients’ blocklists unnecessarily restrict about 60% of this safe content, presenting an opportunity for brands to reach valuable audiences in trusted environments.
• Jana Meron expanded on this, stating that the real question is suitability, not safety. She argued that news sites provide suitable, trustworthy, and well-lit environments, and brands should reconsider broad exclusions to take advantage of these highly engaged audiences.

3. Risks of Avoiding News Content Kate’s final question for the panel centered on the risks of brands avoiding news content due to perceived safety concerns. She invited Rick and Alexis to discuss the potential drawbacks for advertisers who choose to lean away from news content.

• Rick Corteville stressed that avoiding news content limits brands’ ability to reach their target audiences at scale and foregoes the unique engagement opportunities that premium publishers can provide, such as custom editorial content and relevant events.
• Alexis Williams added that a significant portion of the audience, including “news junkies” who exclusively consume news content, becomes unreachable when brands avoid news environments. She challenged the industry to consider the broader societal impact of avoiding quality journalism, emphasizing the critical role of journalism in upholding democracy and accountability.

Audience Q&A

“What role do you believe ad tech players on the open internet fulfill in supporting quality journalism?”

• Mike Dupree responded by describing Teads’ commitment to partnering directly with publishers. He explained that Teads avoids indirect supply paths and focuses on respectful ad experiences that do not interfere with the user’s engagement with content, supporting the ecosystem while providing clean, contextually relevant placements.

“What are the risks for advertisers who avoid news content due to safety concerns?”

• Rick Corteville noted that avoiding news content limits advertisers’ ability to engage diverse and valuable audiences across multiple touchpoints. Alexis Williams added that a news-averse strategy not only reduces access to influential demographics but also weakens journalism’s ability to provide essential public oversight, challenging the industry to support quality journalism for both business and societal benefits.

Key Takeaways

This webinar and study underscore that advertising in quality news environments isn’t just a moral choice—it’s a strategic business advantage. As audiences increasingly seek out trusted news sources, brands have a unique opportunity to connect with highly engaged consumers. With the U.S. election happening Tuesday, November 5th advertisers can make a meaningful impact by aligning with reputable journalism that informs, empowers, and sustains democratic societies.

Interested in learning more? Download “The Value of Traditional News” eBook here.