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| Digital Content Next | |
|---|---|
| Name | Digital Content Next |
| Type | Trade association |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Region served | United States, International |
| Leader title | CEO |
| Leader name | Jason Kint |
Digital Content Next is a trade association representing digital content companies and publishers. It was founded to provide advocacy, research, and best practices for premium digital publishers navigating advertising, technology, and policy environments. The organization operates at the intersection of media, advertising, and law, engaging with legislative bodies, platform companies, and industry coalitions.
Digital Content Next emerged amid shifts in online advertising and platform dynamics following the rise of companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Its formation in 2011 reflected responses to issues spotlighted by events like the 2016 United States presidential election debates over misinformation and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as well as ongoing disputes tied to programmatic advertising controversies involving firms such as Rubicon Project and AppNexus. Leadership changes and strategic pivots occurred alongside developments in privacy law, notably the passage of the California Consumer Privacy Act and legislative activity in the United States Congress. The organization evolved its remit as major publishers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and digital native outlets sought collective approaches to negotiate with platforms and regulators.
The association's mission centers on supporting premium digital publishers through advocacy, research, standards, and education. Activities include convening stakeholders from companies like Hearst Communications, Meredith Corporation, Vox Media, and Condé Nast; engaging with advertising partners such as The Trade Desk and WPP; and interacting with technology companies including Amazon (company), Apple Inc., and Microsoft. Digital Content Next advances industry standards that intersect with laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and it contributes to conversations involving regulators like the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
Membership comprises major publishers, digital-first outlets, and corporate partners. Prominent members have included legacy media organizations such as Time Inc., Gannett, and Dow Jones & Company, alongside digital publishers like BuzzFeed and HuffPost. Governance is overseen by a board with representatives from member organizations and is structured to align with nonprofit governance practices similar to those of trade associations like National Association of Broadcasters and Interactive Advertising Bureau. Executive leadership has featured figures active in public debates and testimony before bodies including the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
Policy work spans competition, privacy, ad tech transparency, and content moderation. Digital Content Next has submitted comments and testified on matters relating to antitrust inquiries into firms such as Google LLC and Meta Platforms, Inc.; participated in discussions around platform liability framed by statutes like Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934; and advocated for advertiser and publisher interests in regulatory forums involving the European Commission and state legislatures across the United States. The organization collaborates with coalitions and think tanks, engaging with entities such as Bipartisan Policy Center and participating in hearings alongside executives from Comcast and Verizon Communications.
Digital Content Next produces research reports, white papers, and standards on subjects including programmatic advertising, viewability, brand safety, and audience measurement. Reports draw on methodologies used by research organizations like the Pew Research Center and measurement firms such as Comscore and Nielsen. Publications address topics raised by advertisers such as Procter & Gamble and agencies like Omnicom Group, and include benchmarking data, best-practice guidelines, and policy analyses aimed at informing regulators and industry participants.
The organization hosts conferences, roundtables, and training sessions that bring together leaders from publishing, advertising, and technology. Events have featured speakers from major outlets including CNN, Bloomberg L.P., and Reuters, as well as executives from ad tech firms like MediaMath and Index Exchange. Educational programs target newsroom executives, ad operations teams, and legal counsel, covering areas influenced by rulings from courts such as the United States Court of Appeals and decisions by regulatory bodies including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Digital Content Next has faced critiques common to trade associations: tensions between member interests and public-interest advocates; scrutiny over lobbying positions on issues like platform regulation and privacy; and debates about representing both legacy publishers and digital-native companies. Critics have compared its stances to those of industry groups such as the Association of National Advertisers and have raised questions when positions intersect with major platform disputes involving Google and Meta Platforms, Inc.. Controversies have also arisen around measurement standards and advertiser-facing metrics, echoing disputes involving organizations like Interactive Advertising Bureau and measurement vendors such as DoubleVerify.
Category:Trade associations Category:Publishing