Sounder Analysis: NPR's News Podcasts Significantly Safer for Brands than General News Podcasting

A new analysis from Sounder reveals that NPR’s news shows are significantly safer for brands than the general population of podcasting within the news genre. The analysis underscores NPR’s high-quality content and its commitment to providing a safe space for brands seeking trustworthy sponsorship opportunities in the news.

An impressive 81% of NPR’s news content was classified as unrelated or low-risk for sensitive topics according to the GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability Framework, compared to the general population average of 54%. Furthermore, NPR demonstrates a clear commitment to avoiding graphic discussions, with 13% fewer discussions of medium-risk sensitive topics and a mere 2.3% of content categorized as graphic discussions of high-risk sensitive topics. As anticipated, NPR does not feature any content categorized as “floor,” which is deemed unsuitable for advertising.

“We are thrilled to work with Sounder on this analysis,” said Gina Garrubbo, President and CEO at National Public Media, NPR’s sponsorship subsidiary. “NPR’s award-winning journalism and storytelling are a reflection of its commitment to providing the public with fact-based, non-sensational reporting and content. NPR’s 50-year heritage and leadership in audio journalism, as well as the hallmark style and tone of reporting, offers the audience a balanced and comprehensive take on world events.”

Kal Amin, Co-Founder and CEO of Sounder, also remarked, “This collaboration showcases the power of data analytics in evaluating content quality. NPR’s inventory stands out as a reliable and credible news source, offering safer and more suitable news inventory for brands. We’re pleased to work with NPR on this analysis to help clarify the misconception that news content is not a brand-safe category.”