Tegna is out battling the world of disinformation with their new Verify interactive program.

No matter where you get your news from in 2021 and there are over 100,000 so-called media outlets from traditional outlets to social media outlets there is one question we all have. Is the information I read on a daily basis really true or am I being fed disinformation to manipulate the way I think?

Our guest Adam Ostrow is TEGNA’s Chief Digital Officer and he is on the frontlines of the battle over disinformation. He and his team want to make sure that if you have a question about what you are ready, seeing or hearing in the is the truth or not.

Today, TEGNA debut’s its national VERIFY brand, building on the substantial growth of VERIFY content on TEGNA’s local media properties over the past few years. Originally launched in 2015, VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguishes between true and false information by fact-checking claims through research and credible sources.

In addition to its daily broadcast presence and newly launched website, consumers can now text VERIFY to submit a story they want verified. In 2020, traffic to VERIFY content on TEGNA station websites increased more than 400 percent, while VERIFY videos on Snapchat’s Discover platform saw more than 8 million unique visitors, reaching a new, young audience, primarily comprised of adults 18-24.

We want you to gain access to Tegna’s Verify This through the website at

www.verifythis.com

Text line at – 202-410-8808

SnapChat – @Verifythis

Twitter – @Verifythis

Instgram – @Verifythis

Facebook – Verifythis

Tegna TV stations list – www.tegna.com

Tegna launched several new initiatives today at the IAB NewFronts, the nation’s largest digital media marketplace featuring some of the most innovative companies in media and entertainment. In its NewFronts debut, TEGNA is sharing insights on how its multiplatform advertising solutions connect brands with their target audiences at scale alongside TEGNA’s trusted, brand-safe news and entertainment content.

With 64 local media properties across the United States, each with dedicated websites, mobile apps, social media channels and OTT apps, TEGNA offers advertisers solutions that reach millions of consumers on any platform they use to consume news and entertainment content. In 2020, TEGNA published more than 700,000 pieces of digital content and delivered 24 billion impressions for advertisers. Digital consumption rose dramatically, with nearly 70 million unduplicated average monthly visitors to TEGNA digital platforms consuming 7.8 billion minutes of video. This significant growth reflects the high trust consumers place in local media compared to national outlets for news.

At NewFronts, TEGNA is announcing the expansion of its industry-leading attribution solution to measure performance of linear TV and streaming campaigns. In 2021, TEGNA Attribution will provide industry-specific performance data for the automotive and tourism industries. Advertisers in these categories will have access to advanced, industry-specific outcomes and sales data for campaigns placed with TEGNA and Premion, the industry-leading CTV/OTT and TAG-certified advertising solution for regional and local advertisers. With directly-sourced inventory from more than 125 premium publishers, cutting-edge targeting and performance insights, Premion delivers brand-safe inventory at scale across all 210 DMAs.

TEGNA Attribution is partnering with IHS Markit to leverage Polk Automotive Solutions, which offers best-in-class automotive marketing information, including 30 years of vehicle ownership history and 100 percent coverage of U.S. vehicle sales. This offering enables advertisers to reach the most qualified automotive consumers and connects advertising schedule details to verified new car sales. Launching early summer 2021, automotive advertisers that subscribe to the product will receive Polk Demand Signals advanced measurement data, including number of sales, make and model, price, and vehicle type to measure ROI for their campaigns.

TEGNA Attribution is also partnering with Arrivals, a leader in travel and tourism intelligence, and using Arrivalist’s geo-location intelligence data to provide advanced location attribution solutions for convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and other vacation/tourism advertisers. Beginning today, TEGNA Attribution can now provide tourism clients with measurement metrics including arrivals to destinations, cities of origin and days and distance to arrival.

“These new attribution offerings allow automotive and tourism clients to advertise with TEGNA and Premion with greater confidence, knowing we deliver proven results and unmatched measurement insights,” said Tim Fagan, SVP and chief revenue officer, TEGNA. “In the coming months, TEGNA Attribution will add additional capabilities to our leading measurement platform, offering greater industry-specific insights to our robust outcome-based model that delivers actionable intelligence to advertisers.”

“With this integration and access to Polk Demand Signals and measurement capabilities, automotive clients advertising on TEGNA platforms can gain a more complete understanding of consumer behavior throughout the buying cycle,” said Joe Kyriakoza, vice president and general manager, Polk Automotive Solutions at IHS Markit. “Through this innovative arrangement with TEGNA, dealers will have an opportunity to tie their media dollars and optimize to KPIs that actually impact their bottom line – driving new car sales.”

“Arrivalist’s partnership with TEGNA greatly expands travel and destination marketers’ ability to measure the success of their campaigns and adds value with advanced metrics tailored to our industry,” said Cree Lawson, founder and CEO, Arrivalist. “By advertising with TEGNA, brands can leverage Arrivalist’s trusted location data for deeper insights into audience, efficiency and ROI.”

Today, TEGNA will also debut its national VERIFY brand, building on the substantial growth of VERIFY content on TEGNA’s local media properties over the past few years. Originally launched in 2015, VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information by fact-checking claims through research and credible sources. In addition to its daily broadcast presence and newly launched website, consumers can now text VERIFY to submit a story they want verified. In 2020, traffic to VERIFY content on TEGNA station websites increased more than 400 percent, while VERIFY videos on Snapchat’s Discover platform saw more than 8 million unique visitors, reaching a new, young audience, primarily comprised of adults 18-24.

TEGNA will also announce that Locked On, the leading sports podcast network with daily shows for all “Big 4” professional sports teams and major college programs, is expanding to streaming platforms. Locked On shows are now available on select TEGNA stations’ Roku and Amazon Fire TV OTT apps and YouTube properties in their respective markets, and will be available on all stations’ streaming properties in the coming months. TEGNA is also developing an OTT app specifically for Locked On content, which will be available later in 2021.

“TEGNA’s VERIFY expansion bolsters trust in TEGNA as a go-to leader for news, while the continued growth of our OTT offerings gives advertisers greater opportunities to reach their audiences at scale on streaming content that attracts passionate, dedicated viewers,” said Adam Ostrow, chief digital officer, TEGNA. “TEGNA’s digital and OTT platforms give advertisers access to brand-safe content that is highly valued by the tens of millions of consumers we reach every month across our properties.”

TEGNA’s innovative marketing solutions include the company’s digital properties, which average nearly 70 million unduplicated visitors each month, as well as Premion. Supported by TEGNA Attribution, all of TEGNA’s client solutions are focused on measurable outcomes and actionable insights that drive results. For more information visit www.tegnamarketingsolutions.com.

Jim Williams is the Washington Bureau Chief, Digital Director as well as the Director of Special Projects for Genesis Communications. He is starting his third year as part of the team. This is Williams 40th year in the media business, and in that time he has served in a number of capacities. He is a seven time Emmy Award winning television producer, director, writer and executive. He has developed four regional sports networks, directed over 2,000 live sporting events including basketball, football, baseball hockey, soccer and even polo to name a few sports. Major events include three Olympic Games, two World Cups, two World Series, six NBA Playoffs, four Stanley Cup Playoffs, four NCAA Men’s National Basketball Championship Tournaments (March Madness), two Super Bowl and over a dozen college bowl games. On the entertainment side Williams was involved s and directed over 500 concerts for Showtime, Pay Per View and MTV Networks.