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Press Release

Ad tech companies: Stop journalism-harming keyword blocking

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. While many advertisers have decreased or ceased their spending on digital advertising altogether due to the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, others are using keywords to block their ads from appearing on COVID-19-related content.

Alliance President & CEO David Chavern said, “News organizations are working tirelessly to provide reliable and trustworthy information to their communities; a life-saving service at this unprecedented time. Keyword blocking serves to punish publishers for this very same coverage, with potentially catastrophic effects.”

Digital Content Next President & CEO Jason Kint said, “At the same time newsrooms have necessarily shifted coverage towards informing the public on this global pandemic, immature tech platforms are blocking the funding of this journalism. We repeat our call for the advertising technology and verification platforms, including Google and Oracle, which have a strong history of reducing friction, to dedicate urgent resources towards solutions here, including exempting or encouraging trusted news organizations as a default.”

Fact-based, reliable journalism supports the online ecosystem by providing readers with invaluable information and advertisers with high-quality content and access to these readers. Keyword blocking threatens this symbiotic relationship at the worst possible time.

Chavern continued, “We risk a very real information disaster if we do not ensure the continued sustainability of high-quality journalism at this critical juncture. This is a global emergency, and the public needs access to information that helps them protect their families, plan for their futures, and learn about public health efforts to combat this pandemic.”

Press Release

Digital Content Next Leans into Future Focus, Elects New Executive Committee Members

Miami, FL – (January 16, 2020) – Digital Content Next (DCN), the only trade association exclusively dedicated to trusted, high-quality digital content brands, announced updates to its 2020 Executive Committee after convening members in Miami, FL January 15-17 at the DCN Next: Summit, its annual, members-only conference.

DCN’s Executive Committee provides on-the-ground perspective on important issues that impact various business areas and the digital media industry overall. In the five years since DCN launched, it has served as a strategic partner for its membership through educational events, industry-leading research and driving opportunities for revenue growth and diversity. DCN actively participates and leads discussions in the media and in legislative arenas to advance a healthy future for the news and entertainment industry, shining a light on the complex issues around privacy, policy and the misconceptions in the modern digital marketplace.

The 2020 Executive Committee officers, elected at a members-only board meeting on January 15, are: Chair: Loren Mayor, president of operations, NPR; Vice Chair: Michael Finnegan, president, Atlantic Media; Treasurer: Debby Krenek, publisher, Newsday Media Group; and Secretary: Christine Cook, SVP/CRO, CNN Digital, WarnerMedia.

Newly elected members of the DCN Executive Committee are Jon Slade, chief commercial officer, Financial Times, Erica Carter, CEO of Livingly Media, and Sean Mario, SVP, digital revenue and business development, WebMD Health. Continuing as members are Evelyn Webster, CEO, Guardian U.S. & Australia and Pam Wasserstein, President, Vox Media,.

Special advisors to DCN are: M. Scott Havens, global head of digital and media distribution, Bloomberg Media; Marty Moe, president, Vox Media Studios; Christy Tanner, EVP & GM, CBS News Digital.

“DCN is an incredibly valuable resource to all premium publishers. Over the past year, I have enjoyed digging deeper into the important issues for our industry with my fellow DCN Executive Committee members and with the Board of Directors,” said Loren Mayor, president of operations, NPR. “I look forward to serving as Chair as we focus our attention and resources to ensure a healthy modern media ecosystem.”

“I never cease to be amazed by the amount of creativity and innovation that comes out of our diverse member companies,” said Jason Kint, CEO, Digital Content Next. “When you consider that our members inform or entertain every person in the U.S. who goes online at least once per month – and then recognize the growing global impact through our important European members’ sites, including The Guardian, The Financial Times, and Axel Springer’s properties – you understand the importance of DCN’s mission. We will continue to serve our members, and the larger industry overall, to educate, highlight and press for the changes necessary to ensure what’s next for our industry is healthy for consumers, advertisers and publishers.”