Publishers assert negative news coverage doesn’t impact advertisers

Speaking at an Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) panel on Thursday, ThinkNewsBrands CEO Vanessa Lyons emphasised the importance of brand safety in the news environment, acknowledging a ‘church and state’ dynamic, by which journalistic independence and commercial partnerships must co-exist in harmony.

“We will always advocate that [journalists] have the right to write want they want to,” she said. “Their job is to write for their audience and not be swayed by [commercial and advertising].”

“However, every business exists to make money otherwise they will go to dust.”