Vocabulary:
- electioneering [verb] – activities that candidates and supporters do to persuade people to vote for them
The free concert was a part of Mr. Smith’s electioneering. - transparency [noun] – a full view of a media plan
It’s good that some companies are promoting transparency. - demographics [noun] – particular feature of a population such as age, gender, race etc.
The town’s demographic suggest that the new restaurant will be a success. - misinformation [noun] – information that is not true
Misinformation can lead to a bigger conflict. - disclosure [noun] – act of making something known
The court demanded a full disclosure of the facts.
Twitter is launching an Advertising Transparency Center as a response to a recent public scrutiny over political misinformation. Twitter users will be able to see running ads, content of the ads, and which ones are targeted specifically to its users. Additionally, they can also report irrelevant and inappropriate ads directly. The transparency center’s goal is to improve the control of users and to adopt stricter advertising policies.
In the transparency center, there will be a special section for electioneering ads that refer to an identified political candidate. This section will have stricter policies and inclusions such as full disclosure on ad cost, the organization who funded the ad, and its targeted demographics. Moreover, electioneering advertisers are subjected to stronger penalties for violating new policies. The transparency center will go live first in the United States before going global.
True or False:
- The transparency center will be launched in other countries first.
- Full disclosure of the budget isn’t necessary for advertisers on Twitter.
- Users can’t do anything about improper ads.
- Twitter has decided to become more lenient to its advertisers.
- Twitter started the transparency center to address the falsity of political ads.
Express your opinion:
- What is your opinion on the rise of digital marketing?
- Do you think that traditional advertising such as TV commercials, print ads, will become obsolete in the future? Please explain your answer.
- How can a transparency center be beneficial to the end users?
- Do you think people nowadays are too dependent on social media? Please explain your answer.
- Why do you think it is necessary for advertisers to be seen on social media?
Defend your argument:
- “Transparency is the new objectivity.” -David Weinberger
- “Transparency may be the most disruptive and far-reaching innovation to come out of social media.” -Paul Gillin
- “A brand is no longer what we tell the customer it is- it is what customers tell each other it is.” -Scott Cook