Over the last couple of months, a growing chorus of agencies and vendors have declared “news is brand safe.” Now, DoubleVerify is adding its voice to the mix—and it may be the most influential yet.
DV, a leading brand safety tech company, today unveiled its “News Accelerator” initiative. This program, according to the announcement press release, is meant to “further align DV’s product innovation with the needs of the news industry and encourage advertiser spending on news and journalism.” Essentially, DV is joining others in affirming that “news is good” and integrating this philosophy across existing and new offerings.
The News Accelerator, which DV says has been in development for over a year, includes:
News Plus: A contextual segment that lets brands run ads on news content while avoiding unsafe material (the segment is filtered for DV’s brand safety floor and MFA sites). DV says, “News Plus includes content from top-trafficked sites for newspapers, radio, TV, and magazines reporting on local, national, and international events.” The company says they’re also working to expand these segments to focus on attention and other KPIs. At launch, News Plus is available on DSPs that already feature DV’s contextual segments.
Nudges & Reminders: DV will monitor advertiser profiles for higher-than-average news avoidance rates and suggest adjustments. This may include removing overly restrictive keywords and expanding inclusion and exception lists. DV will also promote its Page Exceptions feature, which as been available since 2019. Advertisers can use Page Exceptions to whitelist specific news sites and pages, bypassing all/any brand safety avoidance settings.
More Controls: Based on feedback from news publishers and brands, DV is introducing more flexible brand suitability controls. The goal is to open up inventory and audience scale on news content while reducing overblocking as a risk. DV also says it’s committing to updating the controls with the evolving news content landscape, with a focus on education to ensure new controls stick.
Head of News: And last but not least, DV has hired Jack Marshall, former reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Digiday, as its first-ever Head of News. Marshall, who also launched Toolkits, a consultancy that helps publishers navigate media monetization changes, will gather feedback from the news community to apply to DV’s R&D.
Why This Matters:
Look: brands want more control over where their ads are running. While some question whether brand safety is a real concern, the proliferation of harmful content online—particularly in a year marked by global elections and the rise of Gen AI—makes it clear that it is an issue that needs to be addressed.
With that said, it has also become very evident that news content generally doesn’t pose a brand safety threat. This realization has grown in recent years, especially after the widespread overblocking of news content related to COVID-19 and the 2020 election.
Inline with that, a recent Stagwell study found ads placed next to controversial news topics like two little-known political figures, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, showed purchase intent rates of 62% and 61%. This was comparable to entertainment (62%) and sports (64%) news, so little daylight between what some might consider more sensitive content. Also, roughly half of the respondents in Stagwell’s study said all high-quality journalism should be considered appropriate for ads. Similarly, in its release on the News Accelerator, DV highlights that this isn’t just altruism—news drives 20% more engagement than non-news content. So, it’s worth investing in.
Brand safety companies, of course, have been criticized for contributing to the overblocking of news content. DV’s News Accelerator seems to acknowledge this, but the company is now investing in solutions that support news and benefit advertisers who want to run ads there. DV’s tags are also scaled across the internet, so tools like News Plus, and the other tech controls DV is endorsing, can have a real impact.
Experts React:
DV’s CEO Mark Zagorski says, “It’s clear that advertising on news sites is a win-win for brands and journalism. Our News Accelerator goes beyond just lip service—it involves real investment in scalable products and thought leadership. This will empower brands to amplify their voice in a safe and suitable way that boosts campaign performance while supporting vital news and journalism.”
Meanwhile, Jack Marshall, the new Head of News, says, “By working closely with publishers, we’ll ensure advertisers are equipped with the technology, tools, and insights they need to support news content and engage confidently with valuable news audiences. DV is taking concrete action to empower publishers, and I look forward to collaborating with the community to better understand its needs and leverage insights to enhance DV’s solutions further.”
Our Take:
Brand safety technology isn’t going anywhere. Advertisers want more control, not less. News publishers have been challenged to navigate that shift.
DV’s News Accelerator, however, seems like the most meaningful effort by a brand safety tech company to support news content to date. To their credit, it’s not just another study touting the value of news or a half-baked offering with zero scale. It will be interesting to see how the news community responds—perhaps with cautious optimism?
