The Publisher's Paradox: Clicks Are Up, but Not Ad Revenue

News sites can't monetize huge interest in coronavirus stories

Let’s call it the Publisher’s Paradox.

Over the last two weeks, all kinds of sites (from news sites to platforms) have seen traffic numbers jump. It makes sense, as people are looking for information around the coronavirus, as well as spending more time online because we’re working from home.

But the challenge is that news organizations cannot monetize this bump.

Advertisers not wanting their brand alongside news of sickness and death and the various other unpleasantries of our current reality are pulling spend, if not blocking terms like “coronavirus” and “pandemic” across programmatic channels.

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