NewsGuard, a watchdog news credibility service, launches data rating product for podcast advertisers

In what might be the first podcast credibility ratings service, watchdog company NewsGuard has launched a data product for podcast streaming platforms which will, in the company’s words, “enable safe, responsible advertising on news and information podcasts. NewsGuard notes that news shows are avoided by many advertisers because of brand safety concerns.

“The global podcasting market is projected to have an annual compound growth rate of 27.6% from 2023 to 2030,” said Sruthi Palaniappan, NewsGuard’s VP of Operations and New Products. “New and existing partners can now benefit from greater NewsGuard coverage across their omni-channel campaigns, using our transparently sourced ratings for news podcasts.”

The rating system uses five judgment criteria:

  • Does not regularly convey false, unchallenged information: 4 points
  • Conveys news on important topics responsibly: 3 points
  • Is not dominated by one-sided opinion: 1 point
  • Discloses, or does not have, a political agenda: 1 point
  • Differentiates advertising and commercial partnerships from editorial content: 1 point

NewsGuard mentions launch partners — “three of the largest podcast streaming platforms” — but does not name them. The promise to all advertisers is to avoid advertising on podcasts thast regularly covey false informaion, and even on “heavily biased or politically slanted news shows.”

There appears to be more granularity than shole-show rating. NewsGuard claims that its Podcast Reliability Ratings can “curate recommended sections with highly trustworthy podcasts and make other content moderation decisions.”


Brad Hill