“Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society. We will be monitoring ongoing and will revisit our current position if necessary.” Following the lead of its subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever announced it will pause Facebook and Twitter advertising for rest of 2020 due to ‘polarized atmosphere’ in U.S. This is a big company to be unileaving social media. Twitter and Facebook stocks are taking a hit.

+ If brands want to target polarization and deadly misinformation, the social networks (particularly Facebook), are a good place to start. But don’t stop there. WaPo: New research explores how conservative media misinformation may have intensified the severity of the pandemic. “In recent weeks, three studies have focused on conservative media’s role in fostering confusion about the seriousness of the coronavirus. Taken together, they paint a picture of a media ecosystem that amplifies misinformation, entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking concrete steps to protect themselves and others. The end result, according to one of the studies, is that infection and mortality rates are higher in places where one pundit who initially downplayed the severity of the pandemic — Fox News’s Sean Hannity — reaches the largest audiences.”