This article is from the WebMD Commentary Archive

April 29, 2005 -- Of all the issues that users write to WebMD about, nothing seems to hit a collective nerve more than advertising on WebMD -- its placement, its content, and even its mere presence on the site.

Some users object when certain advertisements appear alongside certain articles. For example, several readers complained about ads offering free baby formula that ran next to a WebMD article titled "Breastfeeding Rates Need Improvement.Breastfeeding Rates Need Improvement."

Arguing that free formula samples are, ironically, a major cause of the very problem discussed in the article, one user (a nurse) suggested that "readers of your breastfeeding article would be better served with ads for lactation services, breast pumps, and breastfeeding information sites." Other readers used words like "disappointed" and "dismayed" in reacting to the placement of formula ads next to this and other articles about breastfeeding.

"Sensitive" Topics

Talking to editors, I have found that WebMD is in fact mindful of such concerns. The company compiles a list of "sensitive" topics such as mental retardation, suicide, and childhood genetic diseases, next to which certain advertising is off limits. For instance, ads about weight loss plans aren't run next to articles about eating disorders or cancer; ads about fertility treatments don't appear alongside information about miscarriage.

Of course, any list of sensitive topics is subjective; what is deeply offensive to one person may seem perfectly fine to someone else. WebMD says that breastfeeding and infant formula aren't currently included because, while formula is inferior to breast milk, it is widely regarded by mainstream medicine as a legitimate option for mothers who for various reasons can't or don't breastfeed some or all of the time. However, editors tell me they continually re-evaluate the sensitive topics list based on user feedback -- an assertion supported by the list's growing length.

Other objections concern not where the ads are placed but what they say. One user, for example, was offended by advertising touting the safety of an over-the-counter pain reliever. Calling the information "hype" and "extremely opportunistic" in light of reports about possible dangers from other pain relievers, the reader found it "disappointing that WebMD didn't review ad content a little more thoroughly" to ensure it met WebMD's "usual standard of delivery."

Savvy Consumers

In fact, according to WebMD's advertising policy,WebMD's advertising policy, the company "will not accept advertising that, in WebMD's opinion, is not factually accurate and in good taste." Of course, that's a subjective standard, and like other media companies, WebMD doesn't apply the same strict scrutiny to ad content that it does to its own news articles. But I think most consumers are savvy enough to understand this and to view all "facts" presented in ads with appropriate wariness.

Perhaps the loudest complaints about WebMD's advertising concern its ubiquity and obtrusiveness. "With all the advertisements," wrote one frustrated reader, "I have to refresh the page sometimes three times before I can read the real page info." Another WebMD user reported that "while trying to read your interesting article on exercise and diabetes, I was annoyed and distracted by an ad for an insulin pump that would not close." Said yet another: "This site went from an informative site to another site designed to promote and sell products."

Of course, creating and maintaining a site like WebMD is expensive, and somebody has to pay for it. Unlike some other health sites, WebMD is not funded and controlled by the government, a university, or a health association, nor does it charge users a subscription fee. So it has to sell advertising. And WebMD is, after all, a for-profit enterprise, as are most other major media outlets.

Balancing Information and Advertising

Are the ads sometimes annoying and distracting? Yes. Could they be less obtrusive? Absolutely. But the same can be said of ads on most other commercial web sites, and for that matter, everywhere else. We live in a society that constantly bombards us with advertising, whether we're watching TV, surfing the web, listening to the radio, riding elevators, or shopping in stores. Holding WebMD to a different standard seems unreasonable.

At the same time, though, WebMD should be expected to show respect for its users by not forcing them to jump through multiple advertising hoops to access the information they seek. Or as one user implored, "Please balance the need for green with the need for a usable web site." For WebMD -- or any other site -- to remain successful, these are words well worth heeding.

If you have comments about this or other articles, please contact WebMD's Public Editor.

Read more articles by Robert Davis, PhD.

Readers Respond: Letters to the Editor
Shooting the Messenger
Church and State
A Tricky Balancing Act
Mission Acomplia
News You Can't Use
Controversy Over Edwards Breast Cancer Article

Robert Davis, PhD, is the reader's representative. His opinions and conclusions are his own.