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

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