Most coverage of media and advertising reads like a press release in disguise.

Ad-verse Reactions is the antidote.

I’m Omar Oakes — journalist, editor, and consultant. I’ve spent 11 years covering the business of media, marketing, and technology: as tech and media editor at Campaign, then as founding editor of The Media Leader in the UK and US.

That’s 11 years of interviewing the most powerful people in the industry. Watching what they say in public and what they actually do. Learning the gap between the two.

This is where I write about that gap — to expose what's broken, explore what works, and make the case for a better industry to those who still believe the work matters.

The incentives. The power plays. The occasional brilliance. The frequent nonsense.

I cover the ad industry the way a good reporter covers anything: with curiosity, without deference, and with the conviction that the truth is usually more interesting than the spin.

What you’ll find here:

• Sharp analysis of media and advertising — structural, not reactive

• Industry critique that names the real problem, not the polite version

• Ideas and frameworks for people who find this world as fascinating as it is maddening

Who is this for?

People who work in media, marketing, and advertising — and want to think more clearly about it. Whether you’re a CMO, a strategist, an agency leader, or someone who just finds the industry fascinating and maddening in equal measure.

I also work with agencies, media owners, and executives through my consultancy oomph. — helping them find the narrative they’ve been avoiding. If that sounds useful, get in touch: omar@oomphoomph.com