First you thought your brand dollars were safe… then fake news happened

Ad advertisers grapple with the threat of fake news, columnist Melody Gambino offers tips on how you can protect your brand. Fake news has been dominating the post-election political conversation in recent days. However, while the focus on fake news has been political, it extends far beyond. Brands are becoming nervous as they realize their ads may be appearing around narratives and articles promoting racism and hate speech. Advertisers have every right to be concerned; the cost of an error in this arena can mount quickly, leading to a backlash and lost sales. The recent presidential election created a nationwide awareness of fake news sites, but it’s something that’s been around for quite some time. It began with promotion from sites like Outbrain and Taboola which would create headlines seeming to be interesting news. The concept is very similar to “clickbait.” Clickbait is web content that aims to increase advertising revenue by relying on sensational headlines to attract readers and increase site visits. These websites are often characterized as low-quality, and they’re mainly used to attract readers to click to view the content.