Next in Media – "Why Brands Should Stop Avoiding News" with Jack Marshall
Podcast Host: Mike Shields
Guest: Jack Marshall, Head of News at Double Verify
Date: November 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the evolving relationship between advertisers and news content. Mike Shields sits down with Jack Marshall, the Head of News at Double Verify (DV), to discuss why brands often shy away from advertising in news environments, the misconceptions driving these decisions, and the opportunities brands are missing out on. The discussion dives into the differences between brand safety and suitability, the increasing sophistication of ad technology, and why nuanced, data-driven approaches—rather than blunt avoidance—serve both brands and publishers better.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Creation and Goals of the Head of News Role at Double Verify

(02:22 – 04:42)

• Jack Marshall explains his move from publishing and journalism to leading DV’s News Accelerator initiative, focused on increasing advertiser investment in news.
• The role bridges product innovation and industry education, helping advertisers leverage news’ engaged audiences while supporting publishers.

Memorable Quote:

“DV is obviously very serious about helping to support news publishers and I think critically helping advertisers to sort of benefit from, you know, news audiences, which, as we know, are highly valuable, highly engaged.” (01:40 – Jack Marshall)

2. Brand Safety vs. Brand Suitability: Clearing Up the Confusion

(04:42 – 08:30)

• Mike raises the common industry tale where CMOs express support for news, but operational teams use brand safety tools too “bluntly”—indiscriminately blocking news content.
• Jack distinguishes:
  • Brand Safety: Avoidance of universally problematic content (spam, illicit content, malware).
  • Brand Suitability: Customizable, campaign-specific avoidance (e.g., auto brands steering clear of car accident news).

Notable Quotes:

“So, you know, that’s copyright infringement, that’s spam, that’s illicit content, that’s malware, that is not news.” (06:16 – Jack Marshall)

"News has got caught up in this safety conversation when really it’s about suitability." (06:53 – Jack Marshall)

3. Myths About Negative Content and Consumer Response

(09:48 – 11:06)

• Brands worry that association with negative news events will damage perception. Jack insists research shows most consumers separate ads from the news content itself.
• Case-by-case exceptions exist (e.g., an auto ad next to a report on a car recall), but these are not the norm.

Quote:

“The vast majority would imply that they’re able to sort of separate the two. They’re there for the news content.” (10:16 – Jack Marshall)

4. Digital vs. TV News Advertising

(11:06 – 13:01)

• Brands are less wary of advertising on television news than on digital news pages, partly because TV ads are less contextually tied to program content.
• Nevertheless, nuanced suitability still applies across all channels.

5. The Missed Opportunity: News Drives Engagement

(11:32 – 14:19)

• Double Verify’s research shows news content generates 16% more engagement than non-news content.
• Advertisers often overlook or avoid this high-value inventory due to outdated perceptions and fear-driven decisions.

Quote:

“News content generates 16% more engagement than non news content.” (12:24 – Jack Marshall)

6. The News Accelerator Program and Product Solutions

(15:41 – 18:24)

• DV is rolling out tools, including AI-driven keyword optimization, to make contextual brand suitability easier and less labor-intensive.
• These tools help advertisers avoid inadvertent over-blocking—like excluding all news about “London” for years due to a past event.

Quote:

“We launched a AI driven keyword optimization tool earlier this year … that enables advertisers to sort of auto optimize… and remove sort of ambiguous terms.” (16:41 – Jack Marshall)

7. Making Nuance Easy: From Scalpel over Sledgehammer

(18:24 – 19:59)

• The emphasis is on user-friendly product solutions; tools should make cherry-picking suitable content as easy as possible for busy buyers, especially junior staff.
• AI is helping to automate and streamline decision-making, lowering barriers to nuanced approaches.

Quote:

“We have News Plus and News Plus Light, which are two contextual categories which, you know, with one click within DSPs, they can use to sort of target towards content.” (19:33 – Jack Marshall)

8. The Shifting Industry Mindset and the Impact of AI-generated Content

(20:35 – 22:53)

• Brand safety zeal has ebbed slightly, and more brands are realizing they might be missing out by being overly conservative.
• Rise in “AI slop”/low-quality content online could make well-branded, trustworthy news even more attractive to brands.

Quotes:

“The pendulum may be sort of swinging back the other direction a little bit. … A lot are sort of arriving at the conclusion that, okay, maybe we have been a little bit too conservative here.” (20:35 – Jack Marshall)

“The real humanity, the real connections are going to stand out amongst all the weirdness that’s going on with AI.” (22:35 – Mike Shields)

9. Publisher Perspective & Industry Mood

(22:59 – 25:06)

• While publishers face continued disruption from AI, there’s optimism due to greater brand appreciation for their valuable, engaged audiences.
• Moves toward direct, one-on-one connections (via newsletters, video, personalities) open new models and ad opportunities.

Quote:

“News publishers have extremely valuable audiences for the most part. They are consumers who have come and are choosing to actively engage—in many cases, they’re paying to access this content.” (23:30 – Jack Marshall)

10. Future Outlook: News, Creators, and Suitable Scale

(25:06 – 26:06)

• The brand-influencer “creator” dynamic is influencing how publishers package and sell their talent for advertising.
• The challenge: combine the scale of news publishers with the intimacy and suitability of creator campaigns.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “DV is obviously very serious about helping to support news publishers and I think critically helping advertisers to sort of benefit from, you know, news audiences, which, as we know, are highly valuable, highly engaged.” (01:40 – Jack Marshall)
• “Safety, brand safety refers to content that doesn’t meet any reasonable brand’s expectations… that’s copyright infringement, that’s spam, that’s illicit content, that’s malware, that is not news.” (06:16 – Jack Marshall)
• “News has got caught up in this safety conversation when really it’s about suitability.” (06:53 – Jack Marshall)
• “You can pick out the parts that you deem unsuitable, but that leaves, you know, 90% of news content that should be fair game.” (07:36 – Jack Marshall)
• “News content generates 16% more engagement than non news content.” (12:24 – Jack Marshall)
• “We launched a AI driven keyword optimization tool… that enables advertisers to sort of auto optimize campaigns, sorry, keyword lists, and remove sort of ambiguous terms.” (16:41 – Jack Marshall)
• “The real humanity, the real connections are going to stand out amongst all the weirdness that’s going on with AI.” (22:35 – Mike Shields)
• “News publishers have extremely valuable audiences for the most part. They are consumers who have come and are choosing to actively engage—in many cases, they’re paying to access this content.” (23:30 – Jack Marshall)

Useful Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:40] – Jack on the value of news audiences and Double Verify’s commitment
• [04:42] – Misconceptions about brand safety vs. suitability
• [10:16] – On consumer attitudes toward negative news and advertising
• [12:24] – News outperforms non-news in advertising engagement
• [16:41] – AI-driven tools and keyword optimization for suitability
• [20:35] – Signs of a changing mindset among advertisers
• [22:35] – The human value of reputable publishers in the age of AI
• [23:30] – Publisher optimism and the rise of direct audience engagement

Episode Tone

The tone throughout is candid, pragmatic, and optimistic. Jack Marshall, while acknowledging industry challenges and past missteps, emphasizes positive momentum: the growing appreciation for news’ value among advertisers, more sophisticated approaches enabled by new technology, and the enduring appeal of genuine, authoritative journalism in a world increasingly cluttered with low-quality, automated content.

Summary

Listeners leave this episode with a nuanced understanding of why news avoidance isn’t just outdated—it’s counterproductive for brands. With the right tools and mindset, brands can safely and successfully tap into highly engaged news audiences, while news publishers can grow stronger, more diverse revenue streams. The future, says Jack Marshall, is all about balance, nuance, and partnership—not blunt avoidance.