Explaining the benefits of advertising in trusted news media

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased need for reliable journalism, and news brands have seen an increase in both readers and subscribers. As a result of this, Dutch publisher NRC Media set out to uncover what makes a news brand trusted, and the influence it has on ad performance.

According to new research from DVJ Insights for Dutch publisher NRC Media, retrieved from the International News Media Association, the degree of trust in a media platform has a direct impact on how their ads will be perceived. For example, in trusted news sources, there is a higher level of brand recall, as well as more positive associations for the advertising brand. Ads also profit from a halo effect, where positive values of trust associated with the news media brand are transferred to the advertising brand.

The study also revealed four factors that influence the perception of reliable news brands. These factors include; selectivity in the choice of topics and news facts, the accuracy of these facts, and the quality of the journalistic assessment.

Madelon Fortuin of NRC Media said: “The research has produced a valuable resource of data. Not just about the concept of trust in journalistic news brands and how this arises; we have also obtained data on how advertisers can benefit from this.”

To read more about the research from NRC Media, click here.