Hearst Partners With Mobian To Advance Awareness of Next-Gen Brand-Safe Advertising Across Its Newspapers & Television Stations

NEW YORK, February 5, 2026 - Through a new partnership announced today with Mobian, a technology leader building the context graph for marketing decisions, Hearst is incorporating new, more precise contextual intelligence and updated media-suitability frameworks across its 30 daily and 50 weekly newspapers, and 35 television digital news properties.

Studies consistently underscore that local journalism is among the most trusted content in digital media, and this partnership will highlight Hearst's dozens of high-quality local-news brands across the country as safe, scalable and high-value environments, reinforcing advertiser confidence.

For media buyers, Hearst's breadth of local content provides access to high-quality inventory in brand-safe environments where more than 65% of audiences return daily or multiple times per day. This engagement creates consistent exposure opportunities and reliable frequency without overreliance on volatile news cycles. However, a recent analysis conducted with Mobian reveals that 38% of impressions from Hearst's newspapers, for example, are misclassified by certain brand safety and suitability measurement tools, limiting buyer access to valuable inventory. The analysis further indicates that correctly identifying brand-safe but previously suppressed content benefits advertisers and publishers alike: advertisers can realize up to a 27% decrease in CPMs driven by reduced bid pressure, while publishers gain access to expanded eligible demand and more stable eCPMs.

Similarly, a Mobian analysis of approximately 2.5 billion Hearst Television impressions from the second half of 2025 indicates more than 97% of impressions ran in safe environments, with over 80% appearing in neutral- or positive-sentiment content.

Together, these signals validate that Hearst local news brands deliver safe environments for advertisers at scale.

"Hearst Newspapers serves millions of readers with trusted local reporting every day - across business, culture, science and community-driven coverage, not just breaking news," said Mike Irenski, senior vice president, programmatic strategy, Hearst Newspapers and Hearst Television. "Mobian helps us ensure that the advertising ecosystem recognizes the true quality of that work. Correcting false positives in legacy labeling means more of our journalism can be monetized appropriately - while giving advertisers better reach, better efficiency and better outcomes."

"Hearst Television has long championed integrity in local news and this partnership gives our advertisers more confidence - as well as more opportunity," said Jon Sumber, vice president of digital sales at Hearst Television. "Mobian enables us to surface valuable inventory that was previously hidden behind outdated classifications, creating a more complete, brand-safe marketplace for buyers and stronger yield for our stations."

"Hearst's local journalism informs, connects and reflects the communities it serves - and that makes it a powerful environment for advertisers," said Mobian CEO Jonah Goodhart. "Our partnership with Hearst uses modern, context-aware measurement to show that local news inventory is not only overwhelmingly safe, but emotionally positive and highly effective for brands looking to reach engaged audiences at scale. Together, we're helping advertisers invest in local news with confidence."

About Hearst
Hearst is one of the nation's largest global, diversified information, services and media companies. The company's diverse portfolio includes global financial services leader Fitch Group; Hearst Health, a group of medical information and services businesses; Hearst Transportation, which includes CAMP Systems International, a major provider of software-as-a-service solutions for managing maintenance of jets and helicopters; ownership in cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime and ESPN; 35 television stations; 30 daily and 50 weekly newspapers; digital services businesses; and more than 200 magazine editions around the world.

About Mobian
Mobian is building the marketing context graph - a system that helps brands and publishers understand not just what happened in advertising, but why it happened. Founded by the team behind Moat, Mobian uses advanced AI to analyze media environments and creative together, surfacing nuanced signals across emotion, sentiment, suitability, and performance. By turning contextual understanding into a decision layer for marketing, Mobian enables learning to compound over time, improving outcomes for advertisers while helping publishers more accurately represent and monetize high-quality content.

Contacts:
Hearst, Paul Luthringer: 212-649-2540, [email protected]
Hearst Television, Tom Campo: 646-202-2557, [email protected]
Mobian: [email protected]