The third annual Tomorrow’s News survey reveals executives think platforms should do more to combat fake news, are increasingly sceptical of social media and blame brands for ads placed alongside inappropriate content – but they increasingly see news brands as a source of trusted content.
Results of the third annual Tomorrow’s News survey, based on a survey of 1,587 global executives, show advertisers continue to be challenged by brand safety issues with three quarters of global executives claiming to have seen advertising appearing alongside inappropriate content.
Key findings also include:
- 77% agree that misplaced ads can damage the perception of a brand
- 62% think brands have full control over where their advertising appears
- Two thirds of global executives are more likely to notice an advertiser if it appears on a trusted news site
- 87% think Google and Facebook should do more to control fake news, while 81% believe that Google and Facebook should be held accountable for content
Trust matters
84% of global executives will only share news stories from brands they trust (increasing from 70% in 2016). The importance of news verification is also growing, with 84% turning to news brands to verify the source of a story, compared to only 8% choosing social networks.
Social media unrest
Reluctance to share news content via social media continues to grow among the global elite with 85% in 2018 not considering social media a primary news source. Even on social networks the most trusted content accessed via social networks is from well known news brands.
