DoubleVerify Launches News Accelerator Publisher Council to Help Drive Advertiser Investment in News

DoubleVerify, the leading software platform to verify media quality, optimize ad performance, and prove campaign outcomes, announced the formation of the News Accelerator^TM Publisher Council, a new initiative designed to deepen engagement and transparency between DV and leading news organizations. The Council represents the next step in the evolution of DV’s News Accelerator program, which aims to further align DV’s technology with the needs of the news category and encourage greater advertiser spending on journalism across the spectrum.

The council convened for the first time last week and will serve as an ongoing forum for publishers to share insights, surface challenges, and help shape future innovations that drive advertiser confidence and investment across a broad array of news. Council members include The Associated Press, The Atlantic, CNN, Euronews, The Guardian, The Local Media Consortium and The New York Times, with additional publishers expected to join in the next few weeks.

“News organizations 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.”

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The primary goals of the DV News Accelerator Publisher Council include:

• Informing Product Innovation – Ensuring DV’s tools and solutions are built with a deep understanding of news publishers’ unique needs and the nuances of news content.
• Driving Advertiser Education – Collaborating on thought leadership, research, and resources that demonstrate the value of advertising in news environments.
• Promoting Suitability and Scale – Reframing the conversation around news content to help advertisers reach engaged audiences through flexible, nuanced and precise suitability controls, without unnecessary blocking or restrictions.

“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.”

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

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“In 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.”

“We’re excited to partner with DoubleVerify and the broader publisher community to ensure local news continues to attract meaningful, sustained advertiser investment,” said Fran Wills, CEO at the Local Media Consortium. “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.”

Launched in 2024, DV’s News Accelerator represents the company’s ongoing commitment to help advertisers capitalize on highly engaged news audiences and environments, while ensuring their ads run alongside content that aligns with their brand values. DV recently launched a suite of innovations designed to enable advertisers to navigate news content more effectively, including:

• AI-Powered Keyword Optimization – Automatically identify and refresh outdated keyword lists based on historical data and media trends
• Refined Keyword Controls – Apply keyword avoidance only to unclassified URL paths to preserve quality inventory
• News Plus & News Lite – Contextual segments that promote ad placement alongside news content

Later this year, DV plans to launch additional content categories for news, offering even more granular classification. These recent and upcoming innovations provide advertisers with greater nuance, flexibility, and control to protect brand equity while supporting publishers’ monetization efforts. The DV News Accelerator Publisher Council builds on this foundation, creating a direct feedback loop between publishers and DV to inform product development and strengthen advertiser confidence.