Discord plans to hire more than a dozen ad salespeople.
Sponsored quests offer in-game rewards for PC gamers
Users can choose not to engage with the ads if they wish.
Discord, a popular social media platform for gamers and other groups of people to chat while playing games, is introducing ads. The company has been ad-free since its launch in 2015 but will now be showing sponsored quests that offer PC gamers in-game rewards for completing tasks. Discord plans to hire more than a dozen ad salespeople and users can choose not to engage with the ads if they wish.
Discord is introducing Sponsored Quests, a new type of ad that offers PC gamers in-game rewards for getting friends to watch them playing through Discord.
> The ads will begin appearing on Discord's free platform this week and are from video game companies that offer users gifts for carrying out in-game tasks.<
Discord plans to hire more than a dozen ad sales people.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
Discord is introducing Sponsored Quests which are ads that offer PC gamers in-game rewards for getting friends to watch a stream of them playing through Discord. The goal is for video games to get exposure to more gamers, serving as a form of marketing. Discord will target ads depending on users' age, geographic location data, and gameplay.
Discord shared this image in March as an example of the new type of ads.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article discusses Discord's new ad campaign called Sponsored Quests. The author presents the argument that while this is a departure from Discord's previous business model of being anti-ads, it seems less intrusive than ads on other social media platforms. However, there are some fallacies present in the article.
The statement 'Discord had long been strongly opposed to ads' presents an appeal to authority by suggesting that Discord has a consistent and unchanging stance on advertising.
Bias
(85%)
Discord is introducing ads to its platform for the first time. The ads are called Sponsored Quests and they offer in-game rewards for getting friends to watch a stream of them playing through Discord. This is an example of monetization by the company.
]Sponsored Quests— Discord's first real foray into ads seems minimally intrusive.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has conflicts of interest on the topics of Discord and video game makers. The article mentions that Discord is introducing ads for the first time this week, which could be seen as a way to generate revenue from its user base. Additionally, the article notes that Epic Games, another company in the gaming industry, has been criticized for using geographic location data to target users with personalized promotions.
Discord is introducing ads this week
Epic Games uses geographic location data to target users with personalized promotions
Discord plans to add advertisements after a history of dismissing them.
The ads will begin appearing on Discord's free platform this week and are from video game companies that offer users gifts for carrying out in-game tasks.
Users will be able to turn off the ads in their settings.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Discord has a history of dismissing ads when in fact they have had ads on their platform before. Secondly, the article states that Discord aims to hire more than a dozen ad salespeople which contradicts previous statements made by CEO Jason Citron about not relying on advertisers. Thirdly, the article uses sensationalism and selective reporting to make it seem like Discord is pivoting away from their anti-advertising stance when in reality they have had ads before and are simply expanding their advertising efforts.
The author claims that Discord has a history of dismissing ads when in fact they have had ads on their platform before. For example, the article states 'Discord’s CEO Jason Citron has repeatedly said the company would not rely on advertisers the way platforms like Facebook and Instagram do.' However, this is contradicted by a statement from Discord's spokesperson who confirmed for PYMNTS that ads have been appearing on their platform.
The article uses sensationalism and selective reporting to make it seem like Discord is pivoting away from their anti-advertising stance when in reality they have had ads before and are simply expanding their advertising efforts. For example, the article states 'Discord said users will be able to turn off the ads in their settings.' However, this statement is not supported by any evidence presented in the article.
The article states that Discord aims to hire more than a dozen ad salespeople which contradicts previous statements made by CEO Jason Citron about not relying on advertisers. For example, the article states 'Discord said users will be able to turn off the ads in their settings.' However, this is contradicted by a statement from Discord's spokesperson who confirmed for PYMNTS that ads have been appearing on their platform and they are hiring ad salespeople.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that Discord's CEO Jason Citron has repeatedly said the company would not rely on advertisers like Facebook and Instagram do. This statement implies that Citron's word should be taken as gospel, which is a form of hasty generalization. Additionally, there are several examples of inflammatory rhetoric used throughout the article such as
The addition of ads marks a pivot for Discord
,
Bias
(85%)
The article reports that Discord plans to add advertisements after a history of dismissing them. The author uses language like 'pivot' and 'embracing the opportunities offered by social media', which suggests an ideological bias towards promoting the use of advertising as a way for businesses to remain relevant and competitive.
Discord aims to hire more than a dozen ad sales people
Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have high conversion rates
The ads are from video game companies
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author PYMNTS has a conflict of interest on the topic of Discord as they have reported on it in the past and now report that Discord is showing ads. The article also mentions other topics such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube which are all platforms where advertisements can be shown.
Discord has a history of shunning ads but now they have announced plans to show them.
Discord is moving towards opening its gates for advertisements.
TechCrunch has reported a cybersecurity scoop that will impact AT&T customers.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains several examples of deceptive practices. Firstly, the author uses a quote from an earlier article to establish that ads on Discord are standard practice for tech companies without providing any context or evidence to support this claim. Secondly, the author presents information about changes in Android podcasting ecosystem as if it is related to YouTube Music gaining more prominence inside Alphabet's consumer empire when there is no mention of these two things being connected. Lastly, the article does not disclose sources and uses vague language such as
The author uses a quote from an earlier article without providing any context or evidence to support this claim.
<p>We also got into this super-neat startup round concerning trucking,
Fallacies
(75%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(75%)
The article contains examples of political bias and religious bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable.
The super-neat startup round concerning trucking
> This is the standard practice for tech companies that get big, even if we don't love it as consumers. (Just look at YouTube's ad load, for example.)
Discord is a chat app for gaming that allows groups of players to come together to chat while playing. It's grown so popular that people use it for all kinds of group chats outside of gaming.
The company has been difficult for the company to make money despite offering a subscription-based model and dedicated user features.
Discord plans on hiring over a dozen people charged with implementing advertisements into the app and selling ads to gaming companies. Job listings like Engineering Manager—Revenue Growth are listed, which could relate to ad revenue generation.
Accuracy
Discord plans to introduce ads into its apps in the very near future.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that Discord will show ads and change its beloved gaming chat app. However, it does not mention anything about this until later in the article which contradicts the initial statement made by Dave LeClair.
Outside of traditional advertisements, Discord is set to offer rewards for players who stream specific games
Discord plans to introduce ads to its apps
Fallacies
(70%)
The article discusses the upcoming introduction of ads to Discord's app. The author presents a balanced view on this topic and acknowledges both the potential benefits and drawbacks for users. However, there are some fallacies present in the article that affect its overall score.
> This transition could be difficult for some.
Bias
(75%)
Discord is introducing ads to its app in an effort to generate more income. The article mentions that Discord has been difficult for the company to make money despite offering a subscription-based model and additional features for dedicated users. This suggests a financial need which could lead to bias towards monetary gain.
Discord plans to introduce ads
Obviously, a company needs to make money
The Wall Street Journal (through people familiar with plans) has discovered that Discord plans to introduce ads
