Letter to Steve Pacheo and Marla Kaplowitz, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Advertising Federation, Randall Rothenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Interactive Advertising Bureau, Leigh Freund, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Advertising Initiative, and Robert Liodice, Chief Executive Officer of Association of National Advertisers Inc - Schiff Sends Letter Urging Advertising Associations to Address Policies that Block Online Advertisements Next to Coronavirus-Related Content

Letter

I hope this letter finds you and your family well. As Americans confront the coronavirus pandemic and the enormous economic disruption it has caused, I write to bring to your attention my
concern about reports that online advertisers are taking actions that are exacerbating the impact
of the virus on struggling news outlets.

Specifically, multiple reports have indicated that many online advertisers, including many of
your members, have adopted policies preventing their online ads from being displayed next to
coronavirus-related content. In combination with the drastic reduction in online advertising
budgets as a result of the economic slowdown, these policies are reducing revenues for newspapers and online media outlets at a time of immense vulnerability.

At this moment in our nation's history, access to timely information has perhaps never been
more critical and millions of Americans are turning to both local and national news outlets in
record numbers for information about health, the economy, and much more. However, despite
record traffic to news websites, ad revenue to these sites has fallen precipitously, reportedly by
50 percent or more in some instances. As a result, at least 36,000 news media staff have been
furloughed, laid off, or received pay cuts.

If online advertisers block terms like "coronavirus" and "pandemic" across advertising channels,
publishers are unable to turn increased clicks and reporting into dollars, thus hampering their
ability to provide vital health-related reporting to the American public when they need it most.

The devastating impact of this crisis on journalism is deeply concerning. A thriving free press is
a critical ingredient to democracy, and the current interest in high-quality reporting makes it
clear that Americans are seeking high-quality information. With many local news outlets already
hanging by a thread, we risk losing many of the journalistic outlets that Americans look to for
truthful information about their communities and the world at large.

Ultimately, advertisers will make their own decisions regarding whether advertising next to coronavirus-related content represents a reputational risk or otherwise, but I urge all advertisers to take a longer view. If the combination of restrictions on advertising placement and reduced online spending leads to a massive loss in high-quality online news outlets, it will ultimately be to the detriment of the entire online ecosystem, as well as our nation.

I understand that some advertisers and others in the ecosystem have begun to take action on this
issue and work with online platforms to develop best practices. By encouraging advertisers to advertise in stories focusing on the coronavirus and the pandemic, rather than blocking them, you
can help ensure that news media companies stay in business to keep the population informed and
safe. Doing so could mean the difference between extending a lifeline and closing shop for some
media. Thank you for your consideration and your support for our struggling media outlets.

Sincerely,

Adam B. Schiff
Member of Congress

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