While global ad spend against news content continues to decline, India’s news media sector is bucking the trend, recording a year-on-year growth of 6% in newsbrand advertising spend, according to WARC’s global ad trends report titled 'Advertising’s Breaking News Problem'.

The report reveals that worldwide, advertisers are increasingly shifting budgets away from professionally produced content towards user-generated content (UGC) and 'creator-journalists,' drawn by algorithmic amplification and lower costs. 

News brand ad spend globally is projected to fall to USD 32.3 billion this year, a 33.1% decline since 2019. However, India stands out as a key exception.

Furthermore, the study highlighted that India remains the largest print media market globally, with print maintaining a dominant position in the advertising ecosystem despite the growing presence of digital platforms.

This resilience is especially notable as many urban audiences transition to digital consumption, yet national advertisers continue to invest in print and legacy news brands.

The report attributes India’s growth to the continued trust in established news outlets and their strong regional and linguistic diversity, which enables deeper local engagement. 

While other markets like the US and UK see serious news content increasingly demonetised due to keyword blocklists and reputational concerns, Indian publishers appear to retain advertiser confidence.

As global news publishers invest in AI tools and tech upgrades to reclaim advertiser trust, India's traditional news media model provides an interesting contrast - showcasing how legacy formats can remain viable amid sweeping digital disruption elsewhere.

Alex Brownsell, head of content, WARC Media, said, “Brands have become increasingly squeamish about hard news content. Keyword blocking hinders the ability of publishers to monetise newsworthy moments, while ad investment is increasingly shifting from professional journalism to ‘creator-journalists’. In this report we look at where the news media ad dollars are being allocated and what news brands are doing to combat these losses and win back advertisers.”