Search Engine's operations are currently funded in two ways - mainly through advertisements, and a small amount through listener contributions. We’re hoping in the long run for that balance to run closer to 50/50.
For now though, we’re mostly ad-supported.
And right now, many brands expect a kind of advertisement that the industry calls a personal endorsement. What this means is that companies ask podcast hosts to try their product, and make ads for that product in the podcaster’s own voice.
What occasionally makes this difficult is that we are not a product review site like Wirecutter or Consumer Reports. We podcast hosts are not exactly well-positioned to tell you which sprocket, for example, is the absolute best to purchase. That’s the reality.
Here is our ethics policy around that reality.
If a company advertises on Search Engine, the company dictates what we say in the ad. The company will not dictate our coverage outside of those ads. So for example, if a sprocket company buys an ad on Search Engine and we have a story that would interest our listeners but be unpleasant for that sprocket company, we will run that story.
Our team at Search Engine is trying to be realistic but thoughtful about the choices we make and transparent about our thinking.
If you have any questions or suggestions, shoot us an email, pjvogt85@gmail.com.