GroupM Australia has rolled out Back to News, an initiative to support responsible journalism.
Back to News is a program to help brands support quality journalism by re-investing media budgets in credible news publishers. It provides Australian advertisers with access to high-quality, brand-safe ad environments on vetted local, national, and international news sites.
GroupM is working with Internews, the world’s largest media support non-profit, as part of a global partnership announced in February. In Australia, GroupM and Internews have vetted more than 200 local metro and regional news sites, ranging from the Cairns Post, down to the Hobart Mercury and all the way west to the Pilbara News, covering every state and territory.
The initiative was launched with events in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales, where GroupM partnered with Walkley Award winning Australian journalists Lenore Taylor, Guardian Australia's editor in chief; James Chessell, Nine's MD of publishing; and Hedley Thomas, The Australian's national chief correspondent, to showcase the importance of journalism in Australia.
The news sites vetted by Ads for News, using extensive criteria developed by a multi-stakeholder industry coalition, can be accessed directly through a local market inclusion list, private marketplaces (PMPs) or a package of inventory against a biddable price.
Aimee Buchanan, GroupM AUNZ CEO, says supporting responsible journalism is a key pillar of GroupM's Responsible Investment Framework and one of the ways its making advertising better for people – and communities.
"It’s critical that we support a balanced local ecosystem, where Australians have access to credible, fact-based and vetted news sources to minimize harmful disinformation circulating," said Buchanan.
"Advertising plays a key role in supporting credible journalism by funding high quality news environments and in turn these environments are good for advertisers, providing access to brand-safe, high quality content environments.
"Through our partnership with Internews, we hope to see more Australian advertisers investing media dollars Back to News.”
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