The WARC Podcast
How advertising ended up with a news problem
Apr 29, 2025
Omar Oakes, founder of OOmph and seasoned media journalist, joins Jamie Credland, CEO of World Media Group and advocate for trusted journalism. They dive into the strained relationship between advertising and news media, revealing the decline in ad spend on hard news and its implications. The rise of creator journalists is also discussed, along with the challenges they pose to journalistic integrity. They explore new strategies for publishers to enhance revenue and foster better relationships with advertisers, emphasizing collaboration and education.
31:42
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Quick takeaways
- The significant decline in advertising spend on traditional news media reflects a growing mistrust of mainstream journalism and a shift towards user-generated content.
- The emergence of 'creator journalists' poses both opportunities and challenges, emphasizing the need to support trained journalists to maintain credibility in news coverage.
Deep dives
Decline in Ad Spend for News Content
Advertising spend on news programming has significantly declined in recent years, with only 4% of TV ad budgets in the UK allocated to news content. The U.S. market displays a similar trend, with big pharma being one of the few sectors that continues to support traditional media. This decline reflects a growing mistrust of mainstream news, leading advertisers to prioritize safer, more lucrative platforms like social media. The shift towards funding user-generated content over professionally produced news highlights an alarming trend where credibility is compromised for the sake of instant return on investment.
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