Today the European Publishers Council (EPC) calls on advertisers, agencies and all the ad-tech companies involved in the digital advertising ecosystem to help end the practice of keyword blocking which prevents much needed advertising from appearing alongside the news, analysis or advice about COVID-19 that our readers are relying on during the pandemic.
EPC’s Executive Director Angela Mills Wade said “As citizens all over the world turn to trusted news sources providing up to date news and invaluable analysis and advice, many advertisers are using keyword blocking to stop their ads appearing around COVID-19 related content. Our journalists and photographers, often taking personal risks to their own health, are bringing eye-witness accounts of the unfolding crisis to our readers. By removing the revenues to fund reliable and much sought-after information, advertisers are jeopardising the very sustainability of the news media”.
Angela added: “The EPC is also calling on Google, the world’s largest advertising company, to take a lead in finding solutions urgently to solve this problem to ensure that trusted news sources are not punished for bringing the very news coverage our readers are so hungry for”.