How Companies Can Stop The Spread Of Dangerous Misinformation

Best-selling author, speaker #ChampagneMoment www.ExactlyWhereYouWanttoBe.com.

Information is power. Yet as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. For business leaders, the responsibility of managing information is more critical than ever, especially in a world where technology can lead to the rapid spread of harmful, misleading and malicious data and content. Consumers are hypersensitive to any negative sentiments toward the brands they love. After all, many want to buy from companies that align with their personal and ethical values. Unfortunately, misinformation can potentially disrupt daily operations, damage reputations, erode brand equity and even lead to costly legal consequences.

Misinformation can come both internally and externally. A great example of internal misinformation was the failed energy giant Enron, which used misinformation to mislead employees, investors and the government about poor performance and illegal activities. This kept the organization afloat in the short term but ultimately led to the collapse of the company and prosecution of the executives who were involved.

External misinformation often involves a third party sharing false or misleading information. This is often done by a competitor, politician or other individual seeking to discredit or harm an organization.

It’s important to take steps to reduce the risk of creating misinformation internally (whether intentionally or not) and develop the right strategies to quickly squash misinformation that threatens to damage the organization.

Factors That Can Fuel The Spread Of Misinformation

Misinformation has been a part of human history since we acquired the ability to communicate with one another. The digital age has turbocharged its spread. To better understand how to stop and mitigate the risk of misinformation, it’s important to understand how and why misinformation spreads so quickly.

Digital Media And Social Networks

Many websites and social media platforms rely on human interaction to be successful. For this reason, these platforms encourage and provide the ability to like, comment and reshare. This provides the perfect environment for false information to spread. For the sake of simple math, let’s assume you have 200 people who follow your business’s social media profile and they each have 200 followers. If just 10% of your followers repost, the total reach jumps to 4,000 people (assuming all of their followers see the reposts, which isn’t common but simplifies our example). If this rate (10%) of resharing and viewing continues, each round of visibility expands—first to 80,000 people, then 1.6 million, then 32 million…

Selective Information

It is easy for bad actors to edit or remove context from information to create a narrative that is false or misleading. For example, in 2017, United Airlines came under fire when the airline selected passengers to be removed from an overbooked flight to make room for crew members. A video circulated showing a passenger being dragged off the plane. The video was part of the actual event, but in some cases, the clip had been shortened to remove the context leading up to the passenger’s removal by security.

Echo Chambers

Social media algorithms expose users to content that aligns with their existing beliefs and preferences. This creates echo chambers where misinformation can flourish without being challenged by alternate viewpoints. Echo chambers can make people deeply entrenched in their belief systems as they receive constant feedback that their view is correct.

Anonymity And Impersonation

Online anonymity allows individuals to spread misinformation without fear of accountability. This can embolden people to share false information without risk of negative consequences.

Deepfakes

It can be difficult to distinguish between reality and fake information simply by looking at it on the surface. Today, technology can create videos and audio clips that mimic the likeness and voices of real people, like when comedian Jordan Peele created a completely fake but realistic-looking video of former president Barack Obama. This technology has only advanced since then.

Five Actions Companies Can Take To Protect Their Organizations

Controlling and mitigating the risk of misinformation is no simple task. This is especially true for organizations with hundreds or thousands of employees. However, a company that has robust communications policies, crisis management plans and well-trained employees with the right resources is best suited to handle just about any misinformation that is thrown at it.

1. Media Literacy Training

The first line of defense in protecting your organization is to make sure that your team knows how to spot misinformation. Investing in media literacy training programs can equip your team with the critical thinking skills to evaluate the information they see and spot information from noncredible sources.

2. Fact-Checking Protocols

Implement a four-eyes protocol: Your company publishes nothing without a second person checking it and signing off. For example, this could require all social media posts or company statements to be reviewed and fact-checked by another team member or their supervisor.

3. Reporting Policies

If your employees come across misinformation, do they know what to do about it? Companies need policies and processes that give employees the tools and resources to know what is expected of them should they encounter potentially harmful misinformation. It’s critical to foster an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing potential misinformation. You should encourage constructive discussions, even if they challenge the status quo.

4. Your Online Reputation

Companies should assign one or more people to regularly monitor the company’s online reputation and mentions across various media and social sites. By catching issues early, companies can swiftly address any false narratives that could harm the brand. Fortunately, there are plenty of digital tools available today to streamline this process and help make it automated.

5. Crisis Management Plan

Every business will encounter a major crisis at some point. It’s important to ensure your company is prepared to handle misinformation with a robust crisis management plan. This will not only guide employees through the process, but it will reduce the response time, ultimately minimizing damage.

We must protect our companies in an era where information wields immense power and risk. By taking proactive steps and adapting, we can commit to truth and accuracy. In doing so, we pave the way for a brighter, more resilient future in the digital age.

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