Facebook has been on an advertising blitz to fix its reputation, and some publishers have raked in cash from its nightmare PR year
- Facebook has been on an advertising blitz this year, to the benefit of news publishers.
- The social network has increased its spending nearly fourfold across 25 publishers including The New York Times and Washington Post, according to ad-tracking firm MediaRadar.
- Facebook has been on a charm offense as it tries to repair its reputation and fend off regulation following revelations that it allowed its platform and user data to be misused.
Facebook has been a thorn in the side of news outlets this year, but there’s one way Facebook’s troubles have been publishers’ gain.
Facebook has been on an advertising blitz this year, to the benefit of many established news outlets. According to a MediaRadar analysis, Facebook spent $3.9 million across 25 outlets this year through November, up from $1 million in the year-ago period.
MediaRadar measured spending in online and print-online news publications including The Atlantic, HuffPost, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Spending was also up in TV and outdoor advertising.
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Facebook has been on a big PR charm offensive this year as it tries to fend off regulation and repair damage to its reputation after revelations that it was used to spread Russian propaganda and fake news during the 2016 election and allowed user data to be misappropriated.
Some of the spending blitz went into what it’s been called its biggest ad campaign so far, “Here Together,” promising to crack down on fake news and other problems that have plagued the platform.
The social network also has been spending to push its new video chat device, Portal; a version of Messenger for kids; its new scripted show, “Queen America”; and its charitable efforts, according to MediaRadar.
Google also has massively increased its advertising this year, spending $13.8 million through November, up from $3.8 million a year earlier. Much of that advertising has gone to promote its products like laptops and mobile phones, often with a message around how it protects the safety of users’ data, according to MediaRadar, which could be interpreted as a swipe at Facebook.
Facebook and Google haven't responded to requests for comment.
Asked about the increases, Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next, a trade organization whose members include many of the outlets that got Facebook ad dollars, said the spending uptick isn’t surprising.
“Brands that want to shift minds and emotions make certain their ads run in trusted media environments, whether it’s The Wall Street Journal, NBC, or local media,” said Kint, a frequent Facebook and Google critic. “It’s telling that Google and Facebook, despite unlimited inventory on their own platforms know that their brands need to increase investment in trusted media environments.”
Tension between Facebook and publishers has escalated as Facebook has failed to deliver meaningful ad revenue for publishers’ content on its platform and cut the amount of news it shows users in the news feed. Facebook also outraged news publishers when it required them to register as political advertisers in order to promote news content on the platform. Facebook has since backed off that policy.
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