In the technologically driven world we live in today, fabricated stories posing as serious journalism are not likely to go away. Even as people continue to recognize that fake news causes confusion about current issues and events, they continue to circulate it. The news media has written a lot about fake news and other forms of misinformation, but scholars are still trying to understand it. For example, how it travels and why some people believe it and even seek it out. Two resources that may be helpful are the Poynter Institute’s tips on debunking fake news stories, and the First Draft Partner Network, a global collaboration of newsrooms, social media platforms and fact-checking organizations.
Let’s have a closer look at the issues from three angles: the media, misinformation, and crisis communication.
The Media
Today’s news is generally received largely on hand-held devices, and images carry the burden of the news. This means that media organizations rely more and more on news aggregates, or persons that can quickly pull the information together to deliver the news in real-time, and online. The convergence of traditional media with new media means that journalists are tasked with providing news to social media platforms. Opportunities abound to find the hidden story, and differentiate as a news organization by providing more context, asking more questions, and providing further content online beyond the confines of the time and space constraints of traditional media outputs.
Organizations seeking coverage must be aware that every page in the newspaper is a cost (space issue). The reported 30% drop in advertising, means that newspapers are producing publications with even fewer pages than before. It is important to ask yourself where you would like your story to be on the news media agenda, and tailor your content to land it there. Static news releases should be a thing of the past, and should be accompanied by graphics, video and photography to build out your chances of landing coverage. Failing that, invest in technology and become your own generator of online news content.
Misinformation
The battle of trust vs mistrust, is ever-present for consumers of news. One useful way to up your credibility is to understand the community you’re addressing and your community of interest (bakers, green technology etc.). That is, your overall media ecosystem! Create a profile of the average social media visitor to your page and know the data! For example, who are the people who complain the most on your page? They are the ones most likely to share misinformation. Who are the influential voices? They most likely will share affirmations and positive messages. Triangulating information will assist in risk assessment, and follow through in terms of responding to queries and providing quick wins and updates, helps quiet misinformation.
Another part of knowing your social media ecosystem, is monitoring it fully. Be aware of where else your content may appear, and where else it actually does. Transparency, accountability and high engagement are key factors in clamming down on the spread of misinformation.
Mitigation-preparing for crises
No doubt about it, crises will occur and so it is important to prepare. Especially since these can pop up with little or no warning! Anticipate the evolution of the crisis and employ multiple resources to combat it. Don’t wait until you know everything to act, and a good first step is to prepare a holding statement. Anticipate the questions you will receive from the media and public and prepare the responses. Know who will present the responses and start prepping them. Monitor the position of the public online as a guide in this exercise.
When presenting a press release, know who will answer the follow-up questions and what these will be. Prepare a FAQ and release this to avoid bothersome calls. Similarly with a press conference, know the tone before hand and know who will be setting the tone.
Finally, it will do you well to remember this nugget about public perception and expectations:
- Perceptions advise attitudes
- Attitudes generate expectations
- Expectations determine behaviour