Newsweek Publisher Caught Defrauding Gov Agency In Ad Revenue Scheme

[Swordsmyth]

A scheme by the publisher of Newsweek and the International Business Times to buy fraudulent traffic in order to help secure a major ad contract from a US government agency has come to light in a new report (http://socialpuncher.com/media/files/CFPB-IBTimes-Case-by-Socialpuncher.pdf) released by independent ad fraud researchers.
According to the report, IBTimes.com won a major video and display advertising contract from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) - a federal oversight agency created six years ago as the brainchild of Senator Elizabeth Warren. Social Puncher, a consulting firm that investigates online ad fraud, notes in its report that "ads purchased by the CFPB were displayed to an audience that includes a significant amount of "cheap junk traffic with a share of bots"- effectively defrauding the agency.
https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ads3_0.jpg
https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/adspend1.JPGsocialpuncher.com
When it comes to IBT’s fraudulent traffic practices, Social Puncher’s findings (http://socialpuncher.com/) align with reporting from BuzzFeed News on IBT India, and with separate data gathered by Pixalate, an ad fraud detection company, and DoubleVerify, a digital media measurement company. (Social Puncher and BuzzFeed News previously collaborated (https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/remember-tom) on ad fraud investigations, but worked separately in this case.)
Based on what it described as a detailed investigation, DoubleVerify this week classified IBT’s US, UK, India, and Singapore sites as “as having fraud or sophisticated invalid traffic,” according COO Matt McLaughlin. DoubleVerify is now blocking all ad impressions on these sites on behalf of customers.
In response to questions from BuzzFeed News, Newsweek Media Group, the parent company of IBT, acknowledged it purchases audiences from ad networks that sell pop-up and pop-under traffic. It said this traffic represents a “small percentage of traffic on our sites” and denied any fraudulent activity. -Buzzfeed (https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/the-publisher-of-newsweek-and-the-international-business?utm_term=.suDyy4lM1#.cl7eevxyO)
“We use third-party platforms to verify and filter this traffic to ensure it is of the highest quality. This verification process prevents poor-quality traffic being redirected to our sites and we consistently score highly on various third-party ad verification platforms,” the company said. It declined to name the third-party verification partners it works with.
The CFPB, now headed by Trump appointee Mick Mulvaney, told BuzzFeed News that the bureau is looking into the allegations.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-01/newsweek-publisher-caught-defrauding-gov-agency-ad-revenue-scheme

[enhanced_deficit]

Why can't Newsweek be model publication like National Enquirer in handling of ads money?

On top of this, Newsweek has also been publishing many anti Trump, anti Kushner/Javanka news lately. Not to say that led to their investigation as Trump admin seems too honest in its anti-corruption drive to target based on politics. Just few recent examples of NW's anti Trump reporting:



'Newsweek: (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?518243-Newsweek-Trump-Impeachment-Odds-Rise-After-Explosive-Fire-and-Fury-Book-Revelations&)Trump Impeachment Odds Rise After Explosive 'Fire and Fury' Book Revelations'

Trump imposes limited censorship on Afghan war reports, Newsweek says U.S. Is Losing Badly

Newsweek: “U.S. Government Planned False Flag Attacks to Start War” (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?517862-Newsweek-%E2%80%9CU-S-Government-Planned-False-Flag-Attacks-to-Start-War%E2%80%9D&)







Related

“Morning Joe” co-hosts claim Kushner attempted to blackmail the morning show

Jared Kushner Told ‘Morning Joe': Apologize to Trump to Kill National Enquirer Story (Report)
President’s son-in-law is the White House staffer who threatened Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, according to New York Magazine report

https://www.thewrap.com/jared-kushne...-trump-report/ (https://www.thewrap.com/jared-kushner-told-morning-joe-to-apologize-to-trump-report/)

[acptulsa]

Once upon a time, people strongly frowned on government advertising. The whole idea was anathema to people. It was not the American government's job to tell the people what needed to be done, it was the people's job to tell the government what needed to be done. It was considered a waste of taxpayer money, it was considered a principle; it was opposed on both practical and ideological grounds.

And since we lost that, lo and behold, the media has turned into government propaganda mouthpieces, because the government's budget cannot be ignored.

Does the government get fooled by Newsweek's false claims about it's subsidiaries' circulation? Or does it merely pay the bill because the Washington Mafia needs to secure the cooperation of this mouthpiece?

This little story which has attracted no comment goes right to the heart of the problems we want to fight. No reform could possibly strike at the heart of the beast more effectively than for the American people to forbid tax dollars being used on any form of advertising.

[phill4paul]

Once upon a time, people strongly frowned on government advertising. The whole idea was anathema to people. It was not the American government's job to tell the people what needed to be done, it was the people's job to tell the government what needed to be done. It was considered a waste of taxpayer money, it was considered a principle; it was opposed on both practical and ideological grounds.

And since we lost that, lo and behold, the media has turned into government propaganda mouthpieces, because the government's budget cannot be ignored.

Does the government get fooled by Newsweek's false claims about it's subsidiaries' circulation? Or does it merely pay the bill because the Washington Mafia needs to secure the cooperation of this mouthpiece?

This little story which has attracted no comment goes right to the heart of the problems we want to fight. No reform could possibly strike at the heart of the beast more effectively than for the American people to forbid tax dollars being used on any form of advertising.

Since when has the American people forbid tax dollars for just about anything and everything under the sun?

[Swordsmyth]

Employees at Newsweek were informed today that editor-in-chief Bob Roe and executive editor Ken Li have been fired, along with journalist Celeste Katz - who had written articles covering an active investigation into parent company Newsweek Media Group, sources tell CNN (http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/05/media/newsweek-editors-out/index.html).

https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/125newsweeknewsstand.jpg


Staff in Newsweek's New York offices were told they could stop working and go home for the day on Monday afternoon, the source close to the newsroom told CNN.

"Can confirm I was fired. I know nothing else. Can say nothing else yet," Roe told CNN in an email.
It is unclear whether the firings are related to Katz's ongoing coverage of the Manhattan DA's ongoing financial investigation of Newsweek, whose New York offices were raided January 18. Katz reported that authorities were investigating a potential "money trail" between former Newsweek Media Group executives and Olivet University, a California Christian College.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-05/game-over-newsweek-fires-top-editors-staffers-told-go-home