Media agency IPG Mediabrands updated its Media Responsibility Index (MRI), which aims to grade advertising channels based on their level of brand safety, inclusivity, sustainability and data ethics.

The latest version assesses 150 outlets across 150 platforms, including traditional broadcast and cable, connected TV and over-the-top, digital video and display. Originally, MRI was designed to review social media platforms.

Advertising environments are under the microscope as brands pursue ESG commitments and consumers become more critical of where brands choose to advertise. A Mediabrands survey found that one-quarter of clients adjusted their media mix based on MRI findings, and 90% said they were interested in finding new methods to assess media value beyond price efficiency alone.

"We developed our first media responsibility index in 2020 to determine exact protocols of the major platforms, as people started questioning the impact of social media in their lives, from the prevalence of misinformation to hate speech and data-collection practices," said Elijah Harris, executive VP, global digital partnerships & media responsibility at Mediabrands' Magna unit. 

"We have always believed in the need to bring the lens of media responsibility to a broader set of media types. Consumers digest content and opinions from an ever-increasing list of mediums. It only made sense that this rigor we've developed for social platforms would be translated for a more diversified mix of media partners," Harris said. "With each iteration, the MRI is becoming more robust and establishing itself as a mainstay in driving industry accountability and powering responsible advertising investment."

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In its report, Mediabrands found that traditional broadcast and cable scored high in terms of safety, partly because of its history of being federally regulated.

Tech-proficient digital-first CTV partners are driving higher Data Ethics performance than their traditional-first counterparts, in part due to their origins and operating in a more tech-oriented space, versus a TV-first space, according to the report.

Social media platforms showed continued improvement across the four priorities. Partners attained a 10% increase in Inclusivity, driven by increased focus on internal accountability and creator equity.

"The MRI is an important underpinning of our Media for Good positioning, putting responsibility at the heart of every media decision, as concern over the interplay and societal impact of advertising, media and misinformation increases," Mediabrands global CEO Eileen Kiernan said. "Our clients are increasingly pursuing ESG criteria within their own businesses and we are providing a resource to support these goals along with advocating for stronger, safer standards in media." ■

Media buyer IPG Mediabrands said it will be working with NewsGuard to create an exclusive tool to determine whether individual news channels and shows are reliable enough for its clients to advertise in.

The new tool will be available exclusively to Mediabrands clients and will be ready in time for the upfronts, the companies said.

“In this age of misinformation and disinformation, one of the most important things we can offer our clients is greater assurances that their media dollars are not supporting misleading content,” said Dani Benowitz, president, U.S., of Magna, Mediabrands’ global media investment and intelligence company. “NewsGuard is rapidly earning trust among viewers as an unbiased evaluator of news networks and sites. We are excited to be supporting NewsGuard as it goes one step further and rates the programs themselves.”

Mediabrands had already been working with NewsGuard to evaluate news websites based on criteria including credibility and transparency.

In addition to rating 117 shows on 27 broadcast and cable networks, Mediabrands will use NewsGuard ratings in a pre-planning capability for programmatic buying of digital advertising.

Some advertisers are leery of advertising on news. They create long lists of terms they don’t want their brands associated with, and the result is there isn’t enough revenue to support good reporting 

Mediabrands and NewsGuard said their approach will support quality journalism while protecting advertisers. By recognizing that some programs on cable news, for example, are more journalistically vetted than others, the program-by-program ratings will give advertisers more options to consider.

“Our team of experienced journalists with diverse backgrounds brings a determinedly apolitical and transparent approach to ratings of news outlets,” said Gordon Crovitz, co-CEO of NewsGuard.

“We are gratified to have a partner in Mediabrands as we expand our mission of rating the trustworthiness of news sources now to include the assessment of the spectrum of TV news, from morning shows to nightly, host-driven opinion programs. With this expansion of our partnership, Mediabrands, which has already made NewsGuard’s services for programmatic advertising available to its clients, now becomes a leader in providing brands with responsible advertising assurance across a full range of advertising venues and media.” ■

Jacki Kelley, formerly CEO of IPG Mediabrands North America and president of global clients, has joined Bloomberg Media as COO for Media, overseeing TV, Web, mobile digital video, radio print and live events. She will serve as deputy to CEO Justin Smith across the entire Media Group, including Web, mobile, Bloomberg TV, print magazines and live events.

She comes aboard Sept. 1 and will be based in New York. “This is a coup for our organization and important talent milestone as we implement our new strategy," Smith said in a release. "Jacki is a force of nature – a perfect a mix of shrewd business acumen and creativity with a clear track record of success."

At IPG, she is credited with helping snag the Microsoft account, adding to a roster that already includes ExxonMobil, Sony and BMW.

Before overseeing integrated tools, technologies and services for North American clients at IPG, Kelley's resume included posts at Yahoo!, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She got her start at USA Today, where she became SVP of Advertising.