The rise of advertiser blocklists during the pandemic has increasingly penalized trusted journalism, with one UK publisher's blocklist containing 34,000 words, many of which are innocuous and block ads from appearing alongside critical news stories. Newsworks has relaunched its "Back. Don't Block" campaign to urge advertisers to support quality journalism rather than censor it, as the long-term sustainability of the free press is at risk.
For professionals focused on the media business and advertising, the critical insight is the detrimental impact of extensive advertiser blocklists on journalism. These blocklists, often containing tens of thousands of words, are limiting ad revenue by blocking ads from appearing next to valuable news content, including significant global events coverage. This underscores the need for a concerted effort to re-evaluate and potentially relax brand safety settings to support the financial sustainability of quality journalism and ensure that advertisers capitalize on the engaged readership that trusted news platforms provide.