Communicorp Media, the Denis O’Brien-owned group of national and local radio stations, including Today FM, Newstalk, OTB Sports, 98FM and Spin 1038, is suspending all its paid ads on Facebook platforms for July in support of the Stop Hate for Profit campaign and in solidarity with the number of advertisers taking a stand against Facebook.
Diageo had already reacted to the failure of Facebook to control the publication of what has been described as “hateful and misleading content on its platforms”. Communicorp CEO Adrian Serle (above) said his group was committed to equality and inclusion. “We’re taking this stand to send a message to Facebook to do better and be better,” Serle said.
“There’s no room online or anywhere else for negative, damaging content or hate speech,” he added. “We want Facebook to take affirmative action and place the basic human rights of people above profit.” Communicorp plans to donate its social media advertising budget for July to the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR).
The “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign is organised by the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and other organisations who are advocating that businesses help them to ‘hit pause on hate’ by suspending paid ads on Facebook platforms during July. Among the multinational advertisers pulling their ads are Coca-Cola, Ford, Starbucks and Unilever.
