Fake News Sites Reportedly Still Running Google AdSense
- by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, December 14, 2016
Web sites circulating fake news continued to use the Google AdSense online advertising service as of December 12 -- nearly one month after the Mountain View, California company announced it would implement a ban disallowing them from using its advertising platform to generate revenue, according to analysis released Wednesday.
The analysis, from Media Matters, found Google-hosted ads on at least 24 Web sites known to publish fake news. The site is running a list of those sites, which includes America's Freedom Fighters, The Angry Patriot, and Tell Me Now.
The ads are marked as "AdChoices" that hyperlink readers to Google's information page about its advertising services, the report explains.
Google told The Wall Street Journal on December 8 that it was in the process of making changes to its ad-serving procedures after the media agency ran an article on how big brands were funding the Web sites. “We’re in the process of implementing the new policy and these early stages have demanded increased human review," a Google spokesperson told the WSJ.
In late November, Sharethrough CEO Dan Greenberg published a call to advertisers suggesting they play their part by making sure their ads don't run on these sites.
Easier said than done, apparently. Fiat Chrysler told the WSJ that it uses software to block ads from appearing on Web sites with hate speech or adult content, but it has no "truth filter" to ensure ads do not end up on fake news sites.
I can think of a couple of stories run by major newspapers that later turned out to be fake. In the case of the "Benghazi attacks caused by a YouTube video" CYA story soo before the 2012 Presidential election, it's not likely that even a retraction was run.
I honestly hope that you understand the differences between fake news, which is specifically written and published to deceive, i.e.; propaganda, and early report news that is based on first reports that often change as the story develops and newer information becomes available.
And FYI, if every early report required a retraction, we'd be buried in them. Which is exactly why each and every one of us is equipped with our very own "retraction apps", conveniently located between our ears. Unfortunately, far too many people haven't bothered to learn how to use it.
Good research and the basic rules of journalism, with an honest attempt - at least - of bias avoidance is the key.