PR vs. Misinformation
Today more than ever before, everyone has a platform to spread their thoughts and opinions across their networks. If you are anything like me, your general frustration with aspects of these platforms and their resulting impact has increased exponentially over the course of 2020. Throughout ignorant social media posts, tough conversations with disillusioned family members, and a few unpleasant grocery store interactions, it was difficult to endure unsolicited lectures of ill-informed viewpoints inconsistent with reality and science. I wanted to better understand this phenomenon from a PR student perspective, so I decided to do some research on the cause of many of these frustrating encounters: misinformation.
What is misinformation?
It is important to understand the definition of misinformation in order to be able to identify it. For this, I looked to Emily K. Vraga & Leticia Bode’s publication on the subject titled: “Defining Misinformation and Understanding its Bounded Nature: Using Expertise and Evidence for Describing Misinformation”; an analysis that I found many other researchers pointed to as having best defined the phenomenon of misinformation. According to the article, misinformation is not the lack of information or ignorance, but the confident belief in false or inaccurate information.
Misinformation is born from a desire to deceive and further a narrative, and is often difficult to distinguish from well-researched information. Thus, misinformation is effective at tricking a consumer into taking it at face value, usually because it aligns with or confirms any pre-existing biases and beliefs.
What can I do about it?
Combined with the current climate of cancel culture, misinformation can be a death blow to company, business, or organization reputation among the public. However, there are ways to fight back. Here are some steps that the PR professionals should take to help prevent the damages of misinformation:
Be transparent
First, make sure the client is being fully transparent with you about their practices. Our job as PR professionals is not to “spin” any malpractice, but to help share the truth.
Share your practices and successes openly with your audience. This can be very helpful in building a positive public reputation and increasing public trust.
Be informed
Be on the lookout for cases of false information regarding your client. You do not want to be the last one to know about a potential scandal!
Take a look at the source of any misinformation. A source’s history of behaviors or biases can help explain why it is spreading misinformation.
Be diligent
Earning the public’s trust is a constant battle. Keep your line of communication to the public open and honest, and actively correct misinformation as it arises.
Make sure that you and your client have a comprehensive Crisis Communications Plan in case something goes awry.
Misinformation will continue to be a problem for everyone in the future, especially PR professionals. It is important to understand what misinformation is and what one can do in order to be better equipped to fight it.
Don’t believe everything you read, be an advocate for truth, and always check your sources!
About Jesse:
Jesse Schmitt is a junior studying advertising and public relations with a minor in studio art. In addition to serving as the Creative Director on our executive board, Jesse is currently completing a marketing and communications internship at the GVSU Career Center as well as volunteering for the programming committee of WMPRSA.
Fun fact: Jesse worked in the specialty coffee industry for nearly three years and could tell you why coffee “beans” are actually coffee seeds. Really, look it up!