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Ronan Shields
Senior Programmatic Reporter at Digiday
Investigative reporting on programmatic advertising's opacity, ad fraud, and supply chain inefficiencies
Last updated May 31, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team
Bio
Ronan Shields is a Senior Programmatic Reporter at Digiday, where he covers the mechanics and systemic challenges of programmatic advertising, including ad fraud, supply path optimization, and Made-For-Advertising sites. He previously served as a Reporter and Staff Writer at Digiday from 2019 to 2022, and before that covered programmatic and digital advertising at Adweek from 2016 to 2019.
Previous Roles
Programmatic Reporter
Adweek (2016-2019)
Reporter / Staff Writer
Digiday (2019-2022)
Expertise
Programmatic AdvertisingAd FraudSupply Chain TransparencyMade-For-Advertising (MFA) SitesSupply Path Optimization (SPO)Header BiddingAdTech Investigative JournalismDigital Advertising Ecosystem
Notable Achievements
- Broke multiple industry-defining investigations into MFA site economics and their impact on advertiser spend
- Reporting on programmatic supply chain opacity has been cited by industry bodies including ANA and IAB
- Established Digiday as a leading destination for programmatic accountability journalism
- Developed one of the most extensive source networks in AdTech journalism spanning DSPs, SSPs, agencies, and independent researchers
Speaking Topics
Ad Fraud and Supply Chain IntegrityMade-For-Advertising Sites and ArbitrageProgrammatic TransparencySupply Path Optimization
Publications
- Digiday
- Adweek