DoubleVerify forms News Accelerator Publisher Council to support ad investment in journalism

New Delhi: Media measurement and verification company DoubleVerify (DV) has announced the launch of its News Accelerator™ Publisher Council.

The council builds on DV’s existing News Accelerator programme and is intended to serve as an ongoing platform where publishers can share feedback, highlight challenges, and help shape future product developments that address the evolving needs of the news category.

Participating publishers in the inaugural council include The Associated Press, The Atlantic, CNN, Euronews, The Guardian, The Local Media Consortium, and The New York Times. Additional publishers are expected to join in the coming weeks.

“News organisations play a vital role in fostering an open, informed society, and advertisers need the right independent tools to engage with journalism objectively and effectively,” said Jack Marshall, Head of News, Policy & Content Partnerships at DoubleVerify. “DV’s News Accelerator Publisher Council creates an ongoing forum for collaboration, where publishers can share insights, highlight challenges, and provide direct feedback to help shape our tools so brands can navigate all news content with greater confidence and clarity.”

The council is set to focus on three main goals:

• Informing product innovation by better understanding the nuances of news content;
  

• Driving advertiser education through collaborative research and thought leadership; and
  

• Promoting nuanced suitability controls to reduce excessive blocking of news content and help advertisers reach relevant audiences.
  

“Advertisers are increasingly looking for environments that drive real impact, and news delivers on that need,” said Rob Bradley, SVP of Digital Revenue, Strategy and Operations at CNN International Commercial. “By joining DV’s News Accelerator Publisher Council, we’re ensuring the voice of the publisher is heard as tools and standards evolve, and we’re working to demonstrate the power of news to engage audiences and drive brand outcomes.”

Holly Davis-Markowski, Ad Operations Director at the New York Times, said: “We welcome the opportunity to work with our peers and DoubleVerify to ensure news content is supported by meaningful advertiser investment. This is a critical step toward building a more sustainable ecosystem for journalism.”

“In today’s world, quality journalism is more essential than ever,” said Dave Strauss, Vice President of Revenue Operations and Strategy for the Guardian US. “Through this council, we’re hopeful we can develop meaningful solutions that enable advertisers to invest confidently in news, while achieving stronger performance and greater scale.”

Fran Wills, CEO at the Local Media Consortium, added: “We’re excited to partner with DoubleVerify and the broader publisher community to ensure local news continues to attract meaningful, sustained advertiser investment. The DV News Accelerator Publisher Council offers a critical forum for collaboration helping publishers showcase the unique value of news audiences and unlock the full potential of the news opportunity for advertisers.”

The formation of the council follows a series of product updates by DoubleVerify aimed at improving advertiser experience with news content. These include AI-powered keyword optimisation tools, refined keyword controls, and contextual segments called News Plus and News Lite. The company also plans to introduce more granular news content categories later this year.

DV states that the council will serve as a direct feedback mechanism to align its future developments with publisher needs while supporting advertiser confidence in news environments.