But it's not the publishers process or business model that is causing the problem - it's the process of filling ad space that is broken. Sure, you could pick on

But it's not the publishers process or business model that is causing the problem - it's the process of filling ad space that is broken. Sure, you could pick one ad network and micro monitor it, but you wouldn't make enough money to sustain quality content. CPM optimization is a requirement of the field if you'd like to profit enough to sustain quality journalism and not be the next you-wont-guess-the-top-10-craziest-things site. Yes, I think publishers have a responsibility to monitor their ads and keep their users safe. But I still don't think it's a black and white ethics situation. The exchanges and other ad providers need to fix their business model and not depend on publishers to filter the malware ads they're sneaking onto their page.