Big Technology Podcast How Ad Dollars, And Some AI, Might Restore Our Shared Truth — With Vanessa Otero
Sep 27, 2023
Vanessa Otero, CEO of Ad Fontes Media, discusses the urgent need for reliable news in today's polarized media landscape. She explores how misinformation affects society and the role of ad funding in supporting unbiased journalism. Otero highlights the innovative use of AI in classifying news sources while emphasizing fairness over neutrality in media trustworthiness. The conversation dives into navigating bias in ad spending and the necessity for advertisers to engage responsibly with credible outlets.
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2016 Election & Filter Bubbles
- During the 2016 election, Vanessa Otero observed people arguing about news on Facebook, often dismissing opposing sources.
- This, combined with the rise of filter bubbles, led her to realize the lack of shared truth and its divisive impact.
Granular Analysis
- Addressing bias and misinformation requires granular analysis.
- Ad Fontes Media uses human analysts from across the political spectrum to achieve this, examining individual articles and sentences.
Misguided Brand Safety
- Brand safety measures, while seemingly logical, are misguided.
- Brands haven't suffered backlash for ads near negative news, but broad keyword blocking hurts news publications.