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How can you tell if your news source is reliable? In this episode, Sharon talks with Vanessa Otero, founder of Ad Fontes Media and creator of the Media Bias Chart, about how to better evaluate the reliability of your news. They explore the difference between fact-based journalism and misinformation, and why so much of our news falls somewhere in the middle. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Vanessa Otero, CEO of AdFontes, shares her unique journey from being a patent attorney to founding a company that rates news sources based on reliability and political bias. The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating free speech in advertising, the evolving landscape of media, and the importance of supporting reliable journalism. Otero discusses how advertisers can better engage with trustworthy news sources and challenges the conventional wisdom around sentiment analysis in advertising. Takeaways Vanessa Otero transitioned from law to AdTech through a passion for media reliability. AdFontes rates news sources to help readers and advertisers navigate bias. The rise of partisan media has led to a fragmented news landscape. Advertisers are increasingly avoiding news outlets, impacting journalism. Brand safety tools often block valuable news content due to keyword filtering. The First Amendment protects free speech but allows private companies to moderate content. The definition of 'press' is evolving in the digital age. Negative news is crucial for public awareness and engagement. Advertisers can benefit from associating with high-quality news content. Sentiment analysis in advertising may overlook the importance of negative news. Chapters 00:00 From Law to AdTech: Vanessa Otero's Journey 07:58 Navigating Free Speech and Advertising Pressures 14:30 The Evolving Landscape of News and Media 20:45 AdTech Solutions: Bridging Advertisers and Reliable News 26:44 Challenging Sentiment Analysis in Advertising Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For my 2025 kickoff of Insider Interviews marketing luminaries Lou Paskalis and David Sable joined me for one of the most candid conversations on the media and ad world for an incredibly candid conversation on the media and ad world that cuts through what David famously coined as "digibabble" years ago. We moved from their personal passions (don't get David started on The Doors!) to how advertising evolved in the tech era... to its future, jam packed with opinions based on their decades of award-winning experience. (Lou, who previously ran global marketing at a couple of small brands you may have heard of, like Bank of America, American Express, and where I first met him, E.J. Gallo, is now the strategic mind behind news assessor Ad Fontes Media, The street cred of David - a top voice on LinkedIn, thanks in part to his terrific blog, "Imagine," stems from being former global CEO/Chairman of Y&R (now VMLY&R) and board member for a ton of big companies like American Eagle and Ethan Allen. He is now Vice-Chairman at the forward-thinking mid-size holdco, Stagwell, where Lou is also an advisor, I discovered!) What informs a lot of the conversation is David's explanation of how Stagwell flipped the traditional agency model on its head: Instead of buying up creative agencies, founder Mark Penn premise to build around tech."... We began by buying tech, aggregating tech and creating a tech platform. Then we went out and wrote in the creative pieces of business." But as David emphasized, "Tech leads the way for everything. But our model, which is the model that's working the best, is that tech is an enabler: Our job is to tell stories and to tell them well." Stories - and art itself, even using the most sophisticated tech and AI - is only a result of the information fed to it. David shares a beautiful analogy about what a Monet envisioned using different brushstrokes on, say, Water Lillies. We have to inform our models to consider "impressionism," just as we have to provide data for use. He says, "Data is a picture of what happened before. That's it. Now, I can interpret it, I can use it, I can I can create algorithms or models, but at the end of the day, data is a picture of what was. It can predict, and AI is going to be better at that, but that's all it is. So it's only as good as the data that it has." And don't get him started on OMNICHANNEL as a buzzword, either. The through line of this episode is to appeal to and follow the consumer. Not jam tech terms or "digibabble" down their throats. Unsurprisingly, Lou agrees, comparing ineffective presentations to Charlie Brown hearing his teacher: "Wah wah. Wah wah. Digital." His point when pitching the CFO could also apply to the consumer: "If you don't contextualize everything into the growth agenda, you might as well not go to the meetings. They don't care what we do, they care how what we do achieves growth." Be human, even in an AI world. That applies to retail, to advertising and, as we learn, the news media. The Future of News Perhaps most compelling was our discussion about the critical importance of news. Insider Interviews followers know this is a clarion call for Lou, which he focused on in his first appearance here last year. Now, backed by Stagwell's staggering study of 50,000 people, Lou shared a startling insight: "The ROI, or return on advertising -- ROAS, on news is higher than any other content vertical you can buy." Marketers are missing out on if they are "news-averse," based on some misguided perceptions about "brand suitability." "11% are self-identified as news junkies who only read or watch the news when they're consuming media. That's 11% more business for any marketer in America in 2025 who will achieve the growth agenda and win by reaching these very influential people." (To learn more, all Insider Interviews fans who are publishers are invited to apply to attend Stagwell's Future of News next meeting at 1WTC on January 2...
While going to pick up some food in a “Everyone Watches Women's Sports” t-shirt, Vanessa Otero was approached by a stranger with a loaded question about “men in women's sports.” The following exchange could have easily turned hostile or dismissive, but Otero chose a different path. Drawing on her experience in discussing polarizing issues, she asked clarifying questions and introduced new ideas to the conversation, hoping to build better understanding. Vanessa Otero is CEO and founder of Ad Fontes Media, known for its Media Bias Chart, which rates news outlets for bias and reliability. Can you think of a time when you felt your perspective or worldview challenged and instead of getting defensive or bailing out, you chose to lean into the discomfort and stick with it – and you're glad you did? Email your story to uncomfy@byu.edu or share it on Instagram and tag us @uncomfy.podcast, and we'll share it! Related Links: Ad Fontes Media Website - https://adfontesmedia.com/ The Media Bias Chart - https://adfontesmedia.com/static-mbc/ Vanessa Otero's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaotero/ Follow us on social media! Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheUncomfyPod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/uncomfy.podcast Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theuncomfypodcast YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Uncomfy.Podcast Threads - https://www.threads.net/@uncomfy.podcast Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/uncomfypodcast.bsky.social X - https://x.com/TheUncomfyPod
Media bias specialist Vanessa Otero, founder of Ad Fontes Media, talks to me (Zach Elwood) about my books aimed at reducing toxic political polarization in America. Topics discussed include: common objections to and skepticism about this work (for example, views that those working on depolarization are "helping the bad guys"; why overcoming objections is so important; how conflict makes people behave in ways that amplify the toxicity of the conflict (often without knowing it); our distorted views of each other; how our contempt can help create the very things we're upset about; and more. Learn more and sign up for a premium subscription at PeopleWhoReadPeople.com.
Lou Paskalis, Chief Strategy Officer of Ad Fontes Media, CEO and founder of AJL Advisory, former president and chief operating officer of MMA Global on the business opportunity that the return to News represents for marketers and how that has the added benefit of bolstering our society. He argues that in the unfounded fears of becoming collateral damage in the culture wars has sidelined many advertisers and deprived news publishers of a valuable source of advertising revenue at a time when they are actively combating disinformation and misinformation in a growing war on truth. News audiences represent the single most attractive cohort for marketers when it comes to household income, cultural influence and the ability to purchase products and build their respective businesses and advertisers are leaving significant money on the table by avoiding news. "As AI becomes mainstream, the proliferation of misinformation it could create will exacerbate what we are already seeing today. Some bad actors will introduce "deep-fakes" that will be harder for consumers to discern and technology to detect. These ultimately threaten everything from the way business gets done to our society and indeed, democracy itself. At the same time, AI will help news publishers hone the appeal of their core product by helping them easily and efficiently tailor their offerings to disparate audiences. There are big opportunities for savvy marketers to partner with news publishers by investing in news advertising and enabling new technologies to bring both news and their messages forward to grow their business and thus protect it from the same threats that these same technologies represent to their businesses."
WARC's Cathy Taylor talks to Lou Paskalis, Chief Strategy Officer of Ad Fontes Media, and CEO and Founder of AJL Advisory, and Arielle Garcia, founder of ASG Solutions. Discussing how the media and marketing ecosystem can, and should, move to take more responsibility for how its money flows.Stay up-to-date with the latest marketing and advertising news with our free daily newsletter.
Kara and Scott discuss TIME's Person of the Year, Taylor Swift, George Santos' Cameo stardom, and yet another Republican debate. Then, they critique the testimony of three university presidents who spoke to Congress about anti-semitism on their campuses. And it's a big week in AI news: Meta is teaming up with IBM to form an “AI Alliance,” Google launched a new model, “Gemini,” and Elon Musk's AI startup has filed with the SEC to raise up to $1 billion. Then we're joined by Friend of Pivot and Chief Strategy Officer for Ad Fontes Media, Lou Paskalis to discuss Linda Yaccarino's decision to stick it out at X. You can find Lou on X at @LouPas. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on TikTok at @pivotpodcast. Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at nymag.com/pivot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Vanessa Otero is the creator of a popular and well respected media bias chart that ranks the bias of many news outlets, and she's the founder of Ad Fontes Media. Topics discussed include: the process her team uses to determine bias; the difficulties of determining what is "left" and "right" in a polarized and fast-changing political landscape; recognizing that everyone is biased and that the best we can do is try to reduce our bias; the relation between media bias and polarization; perceptions of the word 'misinformation' being liberal-leaning; liberal-leaning journalists' pushback to Trump being elected; and more. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.
Advertisers that shun legit news sites for fear of blowback from consumers should think twice – people are smarter than they think, says Vanessa Otero, CEO of Ad Fontes Media, a startup that rates the news for bias and reliability.
It's a jam-packed Epi 12 with my longtime industry friend, Lou Paskalis, CEO and Founder of AJL Advisory and strategic advisor to Ad Fontes Media. We had a lively stroll down memory lane (and, yes, I sing to him), reminiscing about working on promotions for E&J Gallo Winery/Food Network years ago to rubbing elbows at Cannes Lions this past year. On the carpet at Cannes 2023. (E.B. and Lou) Then he shared some solid food for thought – especially around the gauntlet he's become known for throwing down lately: supporting quality journalism through brands investing in the news media. He himself has been making the news with his plain-spoken POV, as evidenced by articles in AdAge to Fast Company, from mentions in the Swisher/Galloway podcast Pivot to being an inaugural honoree of the "Purpose Beyond Profit" awards for his, well, purpose-driven advocacy. Perfectly appropriate edition of "Pearls Before Swine" comic strip, used with permission of the brilliant Stephan Pastis! As a former senior media executive at both American Express and Bank of America, Lou offers tremendous insights into some of the biggest issues facing the media and advertising industry today. With his signature outspoken style, he stressed the need for transparency in programmatic advertising – with some astounding stats that should knock some sense into media buyers, and advised brands should build long-term customer relationships, including around shared values and purpose, rather than rely on just transactional marketing. Then we really got into the meat of it: He explained the indispensable role of journalism in upholding democracy, pointing out that "Journalists are uniquely called out in the first article of the Bill of Rights as having a special role in our democracy to basically keep the government honest and elected officials honest." However, the proliferation of misinformation and erosion of trust in media poses a dire threat. As Lou says, this crisis calls for "supporting news at a time when truth is under assault and we need more journalists to debunk the lies." But it's an uphill battle in the face of the local newspapers dying out despite the deep community engagement of readers. "I'm not here to make your job easier. I'm here to make our message resonant. And we have to break this mindset that scale equals quality, because it absolutely doesn't." We went on to discuss his billion dollar challenge to advertisers to be part of the solution, made easier to vet for brand safe environments and political skews thanks to AI-aided companies like Ad Fontes Media – but noted that innovation and adaptation are critical for news organizations to make it through this period of massive change. From 2005 through 2020, there's been an 80% decline in advertising investments in news, which has led to a 50% decline in people working in newsrooms. There's a lot more to this conversation with my insightful friend, Lou Paskalis, and I urge a complete listen to grasp his big ideas on brands, journalism, community and democracy with an eye toward pragmatic solutions...and inspire you to pick up the gauntlet! TIME CODES [00:02:39] E.B. and Lou stroll down Memory Lane...from Gallo to Cannes [00:04:47] Personal passions (Did Lou's early F1 fascination drive his challenger, fast-thinking mindset?) [00:09:19] Consumers and brand purpose [00:12:57] How the triple bottom line is served with news [00:14:25] How the truth became fungible... [00:17:05] ...Leading to shrinking newsrooms and local news deserts [00:22:10] The imperative of local journalism and community engagement [00:25:17] Building a brand for life [00:26:43] The billion dollar challenge... [00:28:51] ... And just how advertising dollars support journalism [00:33:08] Media innovation and risks spark news organizations adapting to change [00:37:20] Marketing and changing behavior [00:41:05] AI-powered platform rating and a fan of...
One reason that falsehoods flourish online is that major advertisers fund them—but usually unwittingly. The opaque nature of automated online ad delivery means that advertisers don't actually know where most of their digital ads appear. On a high-quality news site? Maybe. On a trashy clickbait farm? The ad-tech doesn't care. Today's In Reality guests argue that quality journalism needs a more transparent market to prosper, that's what they aim to provide. Vanessa Otero is an IP attorney turned entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media. In Latin, the name means “To the Source.” Vanessa is joined by her CSO Lou Paskalis, who among other roles was a senior VP of media investment at Bank of America. For the two, the work of steering ad dollars back to quality starts with a unique media bias chart, which ranks thousands of news sites, television, podcasts, and newsletters by quality of journalism and degree of political bias. Ad Fontes Media bias chart: https://adfontesmedia.com/This episode was produced by Tom Platts
Stand up, listeners! Today I am waving the flag for truth and transparency in media, taking a stand against baseless accusations hurled at Ad Fontes Media. With gloves off, I'm diving headfirst into the debate – and you're all invited to join in. Have you ever wondered how media outlets are rated for bias and reliability? I'm ready to satisfy your curiosity and arm you with knowledge.Strap yourself in for a ride through the exciting world of content analysis, as I unveil the science-backed methodology used to dissect media bias. I'm rolling up my sleeves to dissect the Media Research Center's claims, defend the integrity of Ad Fontes Media, and show you how content analysis reduces subjective bias. I'm challenging misrepresentation and celebrating diversity of thought. This isn't about putting up walls – it's about defending the transparency of Ad Fontes Media, and its analysts, and explaining why as a conservative, I think it's important to have a seat at the media literacy table. So, listeners, let's journey together towards a more informed appreciation of media consumption – it's time to join the conversation!Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showClick here and become an Insider and get a special shout-out on a future episode! Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Order your copy of "Cracking the Rich Code" today! Use code 'PODCAST' and get 20% off at checkout.Join The Rich Code Club and take your business and life to the next level! Click here. Are you a podcast host looking for a great guest or a guest looking for a great podcast? Join PodMatch! Click here.Host a live stream, record an episode, deliver a webinar, and stream it all to multiple social media platforms! Try StreamYard today for free! Click here.Record and edit your podcast episodes with the easiest-to-use drag-and-drop tools available! Try Alitu today! Click here. Join Innovation Women today! Click here.As an affiliate, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. ...
Vanessa Otero is the CEO of Ad Fontes Media. The company rates publications based on their biases, and allows advertisers to concentrate their spending in news media that may disagree, but isn't so wildly biased it loses rooting in reality. Listen for a conversation about the ad industry's broad defunding of news, what it would take to return that money, and why artificial intelligence might help scale the efforts of Ad Fontes' human news raters. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. For weekly updates on the show, sign up for the pod newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901970121829801984/ Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com
We talk to Vanessa Otero, who created the original Media Bias chart and is the Founder/CEO of Ad Fontes Media, about the background of the media bias chart, how it's evolved and why there is room in the media landscape for left and right media, we just need to know what we are consuming. Then we talk to James Causey, veteran Milwaukee journalist and editorial writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, about the need to listen to Milwaukee youth and their thoughts on what solutions might actually help the problems that plague them.
Lou Paskalis, Chief Strategy Officer at Ad Fontes Media, joins Allyson and Brett to unravel the significance of investing in news media. Join them as they discuss advertisers' influential role in shaping the media landscape, whether marketers are right to shy away from digital news, and the far-reaching impacts of supporting trustworthy news sources. As Lou notes, journalism is the only profession called out in the Constitution of the United States. What could its underinvestment spell for our society's future? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/no-hype/message
Join this riveting panel at Brave New Worlds 2023 that dives deep into internal and external organizational challenges – from people (and their incentives) to data and technology – that make cultivating customers over time and across channels so difficult. Learn how to better set your organization up for success from Crystal Wallace, Chief Growth Officer, Platforms at Kinesso; Lou Paskalis, Chief Strategy Officer at Ad Fontes Media and former SVP at Bank of America; and Matt Clark, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Freewheel. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/no-hype/message
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Vanessa Otero discusses news ecosystem health and how she created The Media Bias Chart®. Our wide ranging conversation covers her methodology for grading media content, the Overton window, information nutritional labels, societal implications of unhealthy news consumption patterns. Research Topic: Vanessa suggests that researchers examine ways to get people out of conspiracy theory rabbit holes or extreme polarization rabbit holes. She also asserts that media trust is over studied and that researchers should focus less on that problem. Resources: AdFontes Media Overton Window or window of discourse Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-107 Guest Bio: Vanessa Otero is the creator of the Media Bias Chart, and the Founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media. A licensed patent attorney in the Denver, Colorado area, Vanessa holds a B.A. in English from UCLA and a J.D. from the University of Denver. Vanessa's formal education and professional career has centered on analytical reading, writing and reasoning, creating an ideal background for her to create a content analysis Alarmed by the unhealthy state of the media ecosystem, Vanessa used her expertise in content analysis to create the original Media Bias Chart in 2016. Then in 2018, she founded Ad Fontes Media to fulfill the need revealed by the popularity of the chart–namely, to meet the demand for a map to help people navigate the complex media landscape, and for comprehensive content analysis of media sources themselves. Today, Ad Fontes Media uses a systematic approach to content analysis in which a team of politically-balanced professional analysts examine and categorize news content creating data that is useful to news consumers, educators, marketers, and even publishers themselves. Ad Fontes also offers training in its content analysis methodology through products and services for educational institutions and for individuals. Vanessa is on the Board of Directors of Community Radio for Northern Colorado and is on the Advisory Council of Media Literacy Now. Vanessa and Ad Fontes Media have also been published or featured in articles and blogs on news literacy, news bias and free speech, social media, and conspiracy theories. These sources have included the Poynter Institute, Cornell Policy Review MarketWatch, The Economist, Morning Brew, and more. She is a much sought-after speaker at national news literacy workshops and webinars. Vanessa is committed to making the world a better place with her passion and belief in decreasing the polarization in our news and our society, as well as educating students, teachers, and the public on the true value of media literacy and the importance of a healthy news ecosystem. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Junk news is like junk food, and just like junk food has caused massive health epidemics in our country, junk news is causing a massive polarization epidemic. The Communication TwentyFourSeven Podcast is pleased to announce a special episode with the analysts behind the Media Bias Chart. Host Jennifer Furlong and special guests Rhodell Fields, Erin Fox-Ramirez, Dan Madsen, and Roshen Matthew discuss what it's like to be a media analyst, the challenges of reliability and bias in the news, the benefits of working with others that have different political leanings, and how you too can become a savvy consumer of the news.Get Kindle Unlimited here! Get FREE Amazon Business Account here!Podcasting Power HourOne Hour of Podcasting Q&A with Jeff Townsend, aka The Podcast Father, Greg founder of...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show
In this episode, Sharon speaks with Vanessa Otero, the founder of Ad Fontes Media–the media company that is responsible for the dynamic Media Bias Chart. If you've follow Sharon on Instagram at @sharonsaysso, then you've seen her link to the Media Bias Chart many times. The conversation today centers around the importance of trust and reliability in the media. Ad Fontes analysts use the acronym RELI as news source benchmarks, which stands for reputation, evidence, likelihood, and incentive. As news consumers, it's important for us to remember that true news journalism seeks to answer our questions, not provide analysis or opinion. We are used to thinking about news in a binary: real news vs. fake news, but as Vanessa explains, it's more of a gradient of reliability, from a top tier of fact-based “who, what, when, where” news reporting down to misleading and inaccurate information. Most of our news media falls in the middle. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Award-winning Associate Editor of Education Week, Stephen Sawchuk, shares the history, misunderstandings, impact and legislation around Critical Race Theory to help us get smarter about this current controversy. Understand the impact on K-12 classrooms and teachers based on current legislation in this enlightening conversation. Resources: Connect to our sponsor, Ad Fontes Media, home of the Media Bias Chart and the SUMMA News Literacy Curriculum From Stephen Sawchuk: What Is Critical Race Theory and Why Is It Under Attack? Critical Race Theory and the Fight Over History Standards: 6 Things to Know Revising America's Racist Past Polls About Lessons on Racism in Schools Can Be Eye-Opening, and Misleading Ed Week's up to date Map: Where Critical Race Theory is Under Attack EdCuration's Certified EdTrustees Micro Professional Learning ExPLorations EdCuration's Blog: Learning in Action EdCuration's upcoming Online Events
Library Media Specialist, Sara Webb, shares how the Media Bias Chart and other resources from Ad Fontes Media, have equipped her students to think critically about the messages coming from all different media branches and platforms. Ad Fontes teaches students to read laterally and measure reliability and bias in the news stories they are reading for content studies as well as social media. Resources: Find the Interactive Media Bias Chart ad fontes' SUMMA Essential News Literacy Curriculum ad fontes media --Tell them the EdCuration podcast sent you! Media Literacy Now Where Can I Find Resources for Media Literacy Lesson Planning? Blog post by Sara National Association of Media Literacy Educators --Membership is free and they have a great journal. The 2021 Media Literacy Index The Stanford History Education Group An article reporting the SHEG study findings that students are unable to judge the credibility of online information. EdCuration's Certified EdTrustees Micro Professional Learning ExPLorations EdCuration's Blog: Learning in Action EdCuration's upcoming Online Events
In today's episode, I talk with Vanessa Otero, the CEO and founder of Ad Fontes Media. We talk about her background and how she transitioned from being a patent lawyer to a founder. We discuss news media bias, and how Vanessa is using the Media Bias Chart and Ad Fontes Media to help us all become better media consumers. We discuss her raising capital and crowdfunding. Vanessa shares why it is vital to have a news rating system and how it works. She gives us tips and advice for founders. She shares the vision for Ad Fontes and what's next. Here's a closer look at the episode: Background and origin story All Generalizations Are False blog From part time to full time Raising capital Origin of the name Ad Fontes How does it work? The current journalism industry Advice and tips for founders Where are you today? Their types of clients Topic of the week What's next and Vanessa's vision Resources: Website: https://adfontesmedia.com/ Vanessa's Twitter: https://twitter.com/vlotero Vanessa's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaotero/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/adfontesmedia Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/adfontesmedia/
In today's episode, I talk with Vanessa Otero, the CEO and founder of Ad Fontes Media. We talk about her background and how she transitioned from being a patent lawyer to a founder. We discuss news media bias, and how Vanessa is using the Media Bias Chart and Ad Fontes Media to help us all become better media consumers. We discuss her raising capital and crowdfunding. Vanessa shares why it is vital to have a news rating system and how it works. She gives us tips and advice for founders. She shares the vision for Ad Fontes and what's next. Here's a closer look at the episode:Background and origin story All Generalizations Are False blog From part time to full time Raising capital Origin of the name Ad FontesHow does it work? The current journalism industry Advice and tips for founders Where are you today? Their types of clients Topic of the week What's next and Vanessa's visionResources:Website: https://adfontesmedia.com/Vanessa's Twitter: https://twitter.com/vloteroVanessa's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaotero/Twitter: https://twitter.com/adfontesmediaFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/adfontesmedia/
In today's episode, I talk with Vanessa Otero, the CEO and founder of Ad Fontes Media. We talk about her background and how she transitioned from being a patent lawyer to a founder. We discuss news media bias, and how Vanessa is using the Media Bias Chart and Ad Fontes Media to help us all become better media consumers. We discuss her raising capital and crowdfunding. Vanessa shares why it is vital to have a news rating system and how it works. She gives us tips and advice for founders. She shares the vision for Ad Fontes and what's next. Here's a closer look at the episode: Background and origin story All Generalizations Are False blog From part time to full time Raising capital Origin of the name Ad Fontes How does it work? The current journalism industry Advice and tips for founders Where are you today? Their types of clients Topic of the week What's next and Vanessa's vision Resources: Website: https://adfontesmedia.com/ Vanessa's Twitter: https://twitter.com/vlotero Vanessa's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaotero/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/adfontesmedia Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/adfontesmedia/
In 2016, patent attorney Vanessa Otero posted a chart on the web. It was a simple graphic, rating the bias of news sources. And it went absolutely viral. This chart was the first of many iterations of the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart, a map that helps news consumers, educators and communications pros navigate the complexities of today's media landscape. While the chart began as Otero's own content analysis work, today, it is created by a team of professional analysts who are politically balanced, and who review media sources every day. Despite the state of today's polarized media landscape, Otero remains an optimist. She believes that we can all learn how to safely navigate our current media environment and reduce polarization — as long as we take purposeful steps to become more media literate. Brands, Otero says, have an undeniable role to play in increasing media literacy, and the Media Bias Chart and other tools can help.In this episode, Vanessa and Fred discuss ways that communications professionals can combat polarization and how the current media landscape influences our profession. Vanessa also provides tips on how we can all cultivate a healthier “news diet,” filled with unbiased facts. For more on these topics, check out the playback of the 31st Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YQGTFQpP8 and the playback of the Relevance Report 2021 Discussion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK7keTLMP9U.Featuring: Vanessa Otero (@vlotero), CEO and Founder of Ad Fontes Media Host:Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public RelationsVisit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations
Welcome to season two! In this episode, we talk to Vanessa Otero, founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media and the creator of the Media Bias Chart. Vanessa tells us how the chart came to be, how it's evolved, and how the team of analysts behind the chart today measure accuracy, bias, and reliability across the dozens of news media outlets they measure. More on the Media Bias Chart on Ad Fontes Media's website: https://adfontesmedia.com/
Vanessa Otero is the creator of the Media Bias Chart, and the Founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media A licensed patent attorney in the Denver, Colorado area, Vanessa holds a B.A. in English from UCLA and a J.D. from the University of Denver. Vanessa's formal education and professional career has centered on analytical reading, writing and reasoning, creating an ideal background for her to create a content analysis methodology for evaluating text. Alarmed by the unhealthy state of the media ecosystem, Vanessa used her expertise in content analysis to create the original Media Bias Chart in 2016. Then in 2018, she founded Ad Fontes Media to fulfill the need revealed by the popularity of the chart–namely, to meet the demand for a map to help people navigate the complex media landscape, and for comprehensive content analysis of media sources themselves. Today, Ad Fontes Media uses a systematic approach to content analysis in which a team of politically-balanced professional analysts examine and categorize news content creating data that is useful to news consumers, educators, marketers, and even publishers themselves. Ad Fontes also offers training in its content analysis methodology through products and services for educational institutions and for individuals.Vanessa is on the Board of Directors of Community Radio for Northern Colorado and is on the Advisory Council of Media Literacy Now. Vanessa has also been published or featured in articles and blogs on news literacy, news bias and free speech, social media, and conspiracy theories. These sources have included the Poynter Institute, BigThink, MarketWatch, Lifehacker, City A.M. and more. She is a much sought-after speaker at national news literacy workshops and webinars, and presented a workshop at the Northeast Media Literacy Conference this past fall. Vanessa is committed to making the world a better place with her passion and belief in decreasing the polarization in our news and our society, as well as educating students, teachers, and the public on the true value of media literacy and the importance of a healthy news ecosystem.Follow and connect with Vanessa: @vlotero, @adfontesmedia, https://www.facebook.com/adfontesmedia, https://www.linkedin.com/company/adfontesmedia/Promo: Sarah Wells http://www.liveworkdenver.com/★ Support this podcast ★
In part one of the “Grading the News” episode, Ali and Lawrence sit down with the founder of Ad Fontes Media, Vanessa Otero. You are probably familiar with the “Media Bias Chart,” which is produced by Otero's company. The mission of Ad Fontes Media is “to make news consumers smarter and news media better.” They do this by rating the news for reliability and bias to help people navigate the news landscape. In this episode we discuss the work that Ad Fontes Media does and why it is so important. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 404: Trish and Kate discuss having political conversations or "open dialogue" in 2020, we are trying to make sense of it all. Tips on communication and avoiding propaganda. Media Bias Chart by Ad Fontes Media can be found here. How to Talk to a Fox News Viewer mentioned in the episode is a good reference article for any conversations between two people with differing views. Disinformation Nation tips to avoid propaganda can be found here.
Vanessa Otero joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about her career and founding Ad Fontes Media where she rates the media for bias and reliability and produces the Media Bias Chart.