By 2025, CMDC wants the Canadian share of digital media dollars to increase to 25%, up from 19% now, or up to $350 million in new funding for the next three years. In a study last year, NewsGuard estimatd that 1.68% of display ad spending went to misinformation publishers. Based on global programmatic ad spend of $155 billion, that equates to $2.6 billion worth of advertising going to untrustworthy sites.

            Launched in 2018 by two former journalists and media execs, NewsGuard employs trained journalists to produce credibility ratings for news outlets. Agencies can license NewsGuard ratings to make sure their advertising isn’t funding misinformation.

            “Their mission is completely aligned to our mission of combating misinformation and creating brand-safe digital environments, and supporting local news and trusted news sources,” said CMDC president Shannon Lewis.