BuzzFeed rejects $1.3 million in ad revenue from US Republican Party

Online media giant BuzzFeed has rejected a deal worth a potential $1.3 million in advertisement revenue from the Republican party, due to the rise of Donald Trump to the presumptive nominee for the upcoming United States presidential election.

Founder Jonah Peretti revealed the decision to employees on Monday via email, citing Trump's "offensive comments towards women, Muslims and immigrants", according to Quartz.

Typically, media organisations would accept donations from both Republicans and Democrats during election times so as not to be accused of bias towards one particular side. In the email, Peretti explains that declining the offer will have "no influence on our continuing coverage of the campaign."

Typically, media organisations would accept donations from both Republicans and Democrats during election times

"Since signing this advertising deal, Donald Trump, as you know, has become the presumptive nominee of his party. The tone and substance of his campaign are unique in the history of modern US politics."

"Trump advocates banning Muslims from traveling to the United States, he’s threatened to limit the free press, and made offensive statements toward women, immigrants, descendants of immigrants, and foreign nationals."

Trump continues to outrage

After the various rants of Trump throughout his primary campaign in the US, he has continued to outrage, as well as attract, a lot of American citizens ahead of the presidential election, to which Hilary Clinton was made the presumptive nominee on the Democrat side on Monday.

"Earlier today BuzzFeed informed the RNC that we would not accept Trump for President ads and that we would be terminating our agreement with them."

"The Trump campaign is directly opposed to the freedoms of our employees in the United States and around the world and in some cases, such as his proposed ban on international travel for Muslims, would make it impossible for our employees to do their jobs."

Peretti went on to say that it is not normally their policy to rejct funds like this, but exceptions must be made in certain circumstances.

We certainly don’t like to turn away revenue that funds all the important work we do across the company.

"We certainly don’t like to turn away revenue that funds all the important work we do across the company. However, in some cases we must make business exceptions: we don’t run cigarette ads because they are hazardous to our health, and we won’t accept Trump ads for the exact same reason."