Tory: AI, please help us design a platform that allows marketers to place valuable brands in spaces where the environment itself increases people’s trust.
Let’s make it a place where viewers are hooked and 75 percent of users shift their undivided attention into a focused state instead of going back and forth or catastrophically scrolling through clever ads that people have worked so hard to create.
This deep engagement with the platform lowers cognitive defenses, resulting in unconscious brand recall 6.4 times higher and behavioral intentions 3.5 times stronger than in other environments.
AI: Understood. I have them fixed as core requirements.
Tory: I think you need to add a little sugar. Let’s calculate an ROI of $3.90 for every $1 spent. And for those concerned about brand safety, let’s also make sure that your brand won’t risk negative reputational impact by appearing on this platform.
AI: That means a premium environment and total brand safety. We are starting to see the architecture for this.
Tory: wonderful. Can you also add relevance to Gen Z? Make it a platform they want to use. And what do we call it?
AI: It’s called news media. It already exists.
Tory: But I thought I was describing something too good to be true.
AI: Oh, that’s certainly true. That wishlist aligns with metrics from the ThinkNewsBrands News Nation report released in March 2026. Conservatives, it’s not rocket science. Our highly trained professional journalists create verified news content that people can trust in a world where everything is increasingly uncertain.
These journalists work in newsrooms that leverage highly sophisticated audience data and insights that help editors package and deliver journalism in ways that engage audiences. These viewers are so loyal that many pay for the privilege of reading our journalism.
Actually, I’m quite jealous. I can do many things, but I can’t do them.
Tory: There’s no need to feel bad, because that’s certainly great. I think everyone is hooked on this platform like a rash.
AI: There are many brands that understand the deep value of news media and continue to invest in it for superior ROI. However, the industry is still bound by the brand safety myth. Automated brand safety tools, originally designed to police unmoderated user-generated content on social platforms, have metastasized into blunt-force systems that unfairly punish quality journalism.
These tools scan for keywords completely out of context. For example, we’ll block ads for articles about cricket’s “pull shots” simply because they flag the word “shot.” The idea that brands should avoid heavy and complex news environments is not supported by evidence.
Research shows that running ads alongside difficult news such as politics, diplomacy, and conflict does not negatively impact a brand, with 69% of people reporting that such placements do not affect their perception of advertisers.
By relying on overly aggressive blocklists, brands are locking themselves out of high-value, high-engagement placements.
Tory: That seems like a huge wasted opportunity. What else are they missing?
AI: News media audiences give brands extra points for supporting quality journalism, which is a vital part of society’s infrastructure.
With 74% of Australians concerned about fake news on social platforms, people are becoming more discerning about how to protect themselves from misinformation. As a result, 78% believe news media can be trusted (compared to 36% for social platforms), and nearly two in five people actively use news brands to fact-check information they encounter on platforms like Facebook and TikTok.
Tory: Where can I find out more about this?
AI: A good place to start is Nine Publishing’s “The News Effect” series. This series is an interview with authoritative masthead editors including: sydney morning herald, Australian Financial Reviewand nine.com.au, There, they explain why aligning your brand with quality journalism is not only safe, but shares a ray of trust that delivers real results.
Tory: Where is the link?
AI: I’ll be happy to help, Tory. You are not lazy at all.
Watch now: https://www.nineforbrands.com.au/state-of-the-nation-the-news-effect/
Tory: Hey!
AI: Let me be clear. You already have a platform that Gen Z loves, captures deep attention, drives massive ROI, and actively makes the world a better place. and you wanted myself How to invent it?
Tory: I checked to see if you were paying attention, AI.
