The Trade Desk’s brand publication draws questions about its objectivity

Ad technology giant The Trade Desk has grown its brand publication The Current over the past year, hiring high-profile business journalists in an effort to position itself as an editorial resource for the advertising industry. Now, some readers are questioning the objectivity and editorial independence of the publication’s output as it begins to explore more hot-button industry issues. The Trade Desk has hired prominent advertising industry journalists including former Adweek editor-in-chief Stephanie Paterik and former BBC reporter Damian Fowler. It also expanded its editorial team to Europe and spun The Current off onto its own domain in an effort to make it clear it was attempting to be a standalone resource. In short, it’s positioned The Current as an advertising trade public