News media ‘trusted in theory but not in practice’ as agencies and advertisers remain wary of brand safety

Trust in news organisations as a mode of advertising is generally strong among advertisers and their agencies — but not strong enough to overcome persistent brand safety concerns and political sensitivities.

That is according to a survey of 140 media agency and 27 advertising professionals conducted at the end of 2025 by The News Alliance, a cross-industry coalition of media businesses that support and promote trusted news and journalism.

The study found that two-thirds of agency respondents believe news media is a “trusted, reputable source”, with 77% saying they feel confident in recommending news media to their clients.

A majority (57%) of advertisers agreed that news media plays a valuable role in long-term brand building strategies.

Yet half (49%) of agencies and a majority (54%) of advertisers acknowledged that news media is currently underutilised on media plans.

Why? The hesistancy still derives from concerns around brand safety.

Bountiful Cow study finds all news is brand-safe, with ‘unsafe’ inventory most effective

Half of agency respondents (51%) reported that clients are “wary” of news environments due to brand safety, with 45% admitting they have previously excluded news based on assumed client bias.

Of that 45%, six in 10 respondents said news media has been dropped from a media plan at a client’s direct request.

Such assumed client bias is not necessarily a misperception. Of the advertisers surveyed, a majority (61%) described news as “too polarising” for brands.

The survey comes even after a host of recent research — including Stagwell’s Future of News initiative, a Bountiful Cow experiment, and Newsworks’ Attention study — all of which have evidenced that advertising next to news media, even politically sensitive stories, has no negative impact on campaigns. On the contrary, the studies all suggested improved campaign effectiveness.

Despite this research, 47% of agencies and 42% of advertisers surveyed said they would not relax their brand safety settings.

This comes even as publishers have long decried overzealous keyword blocking by brands as both harmful to their business model and to advertisers’ own ability to reach highly engaged audiences. Stringent brand safety settings, publishers have argued, have been applied to news organisations but not social media platforms that host demonstrably more harmful and unsavoury content.

“This research is a vital first step in identifying the barriers to investment in trusted, professionally-produced news media,” commented News Alliance chair Sarah Jones. “While trust underpins news media’s perceived value, it is too often undermined in the media planning process.

“In short, news is trusted in theory but treated with caution in practice — and remains significantly underused on media plans.”

The News Alliance was launched in March 2025 with the aim of demonstrating the benefits of regulated, professionally produced news media to advertisers and agencies.

Its members include Bountiful Cow, British Society of Magazine Editors, Campaign, DAIVID, Ebiquity, Electric Glue, Havas Media Network, Haymarket Automotive, Media Lab, Newsworks, Ozone, PPA, Radiocentre, Sky Media, the7stars, Thinkbox, and World Media Group.

“We are committed to turning these insights into positive action,” Jones added. “The evidence already exists, but we must tell a more compelling story that resonates with both the heads and hearts of advertisers and agencies — transforming positive sentiment into meaningful investment.”