Misinformation spreads rapidly online and for PRs, it is vital to maintain their brands' credibility amidst all the inaccuracy. A major role that PR plays for its clients is both a defensive and proactive strategy against misinformation.
Everyone and their dog has a social media account these days — and because of this, it is extremely easy for misinformation, aka fake news to spread. I mean by now we are all used to getting those messages or seeing the statuses from our moms and aunts saying "copy and paste this if you don't want your Facebook account shut down."
And all the Millennials, Gen Zs and Gen Alphas collectively sigh and shake their heads. And because people are so easily influenced by what they see online, it is vital that brands and businesses take it all with a pinch of salt and trust their PRs to navigate through all the misinformation for them.
Keep reading as Saads Abrahams from media update explains the role of PR in navigating misinformation online.
Understanding Misinformation and Its Impact on Brands
First off, we need to understand the difference between misinformation and disinformation.
Misinformation is false information / news that was spread by someone who mistakenly took it for real and accurate information / news.
Disinformation is fake news / information that is created and deliberately spread by people who know it's false.
Now, how does misinformation impact brands? Well, most people do research online before they decide to buy a product or make use of a service. Sometimes we may not even be searching, but a video or status pops up on our timeline.
And unfortunately, when this misinformation is spread it damages the brand's trust and reputation — and this is where PR professionals come in.
The Role of PR Professionals in Identifying Misinformation
PRs are in charge of managing a brand's reputation. Part of this involves providing them with a strategic plan for responding and mitigating any false accusations — also known as a crisis communication plan.
There are a few ways PRs can stay on top of what is being said online about a brand.
PRs can make use of social listening which "is the process of identifying and assessing what is being said about a company, individual, product, or brand on the Internet."
Social listening helps PRs and brands assess how people are feeling about them.
Another tool is social media monitoring which "is the process of keeping track of what is being said about your brand on social media platforms."
Social media monitoring works through tracking:
- keywords
- hashtags
- @ handles, and
- verified content.
By making use of these tools, PRs are able to assess what information is:
- true
- accurate, and
- coming from verified sources.
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Strategies for Addressing Misinformation
PRs need to put strategies together for how best to handle misinformation and they have to be proactive and not just reactive when it comes to this.
It is vital for PRs to make sure that the information that is being shared is coming from credible sources — if not, PRs can then release a statement to ensure that everyone knows that the information that is being shared is false.
Make use of media monitoring — media monitoring helps PRs sift through all the noise and get real, authenticated content about their brands. This will keep PRs on top of what is happening with their brands in the media and ensure that the content that is being shared is accurate and true.
Additionally, PRs need to help brands build strong and honest relationships with their audiences. This will ensure that the public will turn to the brands first to verify any information that is being spread.
Educating Audiences and Building Resilience
You want any and all misinformation about your brands to be stopped in their tracks, but because news spreads so quickly online, it becomes mission impossible to tend to every little story.
So, build a communication channel that allows audiences to speak directly with you and verify any information that is being shared.
What are your thoughts on misinformation online? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva