The Listening Post

Facebook vs ad blockers: It’s all about the money

What does the Facebook – ad blocker battle mean for news outlets? Plus, we take a look at Globo, Brazil’s media giant.

On The Listening Post this week: Why is Facebook on warring terms with ad blockers? And how will this evolving relationship manifest for the user? Plus, an inside look at Brazil’s media giant Globo.

Facebook vs ad blockers: It’s all about the money

Facebook has declared war against ad blockers and says protecting revenues for media outlets was a key motivating factor. We take a look at what the Facebook vs ad blocker battle means for users, publishers and for Facebook’s own business model.

Talking us through the story are: Ben Williams, PR manager, Adblock Plus; Justin Schlosberg, lecturer in journalism and media at Birkbeck University; Lara O’Reilly, senior editor at Business Insider; Raghav Bahl, founder of Quintillion Media.

On our radar:

  • The media story in Turkey just keeps getting bigger. This past week, another newspaper was shut down, one of the country’s best-known editors resigned and numerous Twitter accounts have been blocked.
  • Journalists in India, who recently published an expose on a political group with close ties to the country’s ruling party, have found themselves exposed and are now under investigation.
  • Gawker, the New York-based news site known for its click-bait journalism and its scandal sheet style, is being shut down by its new owner.

Globo: Brazil’s media behemoth

Rede Globo isn’t just dominant in Brazil, it’s Latin America’s biggest media network. We profile the media giant’s history, politics and power to influence the national agenda. The Listening Post‘s Paolo Ganino reports.

Talking us through the story are: Paulo Henrique Amorim, journalist (formerly Globo); David Miranda, The Intercept; Silvio Caccia Bava, editor-in-chief, Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil; Gregorio Duvivier, actor and writer.