More than a decade ago, my naive and ethical little brain exploded when I discovered Facebook had orchestrated a whisper campaign against “Social Circle” from Google (which doesn’t even exist anymore!).
Facebook hired a well-known PR firm to spread privacy concerns through ghostwritten OpEds and planted stories, carefully building a narrative about data privacy risks. As if that’s not the pot calling the kettle black!
When the Daily Beast revealed Facebook as the source, the incident sparked industry-wide discussions about corporate ethics and transparency. Industry leaders, citing the Code of Ethics, called for the PR firm to be banned from PRSA, IABC, and others.
That campaign, which once seemed like a watershed moment in corporate misinformation, now appears almost quaint compared to today’s coordinated campaigns that can emerge from anywhere, target anyone, and spread globally within hours.
This evolution from simple whisper campaigns to full-scale misinformation reflects a fundamental shift in how information spreads. The tools and techniques have become more sophisticated, the potential effect more severe, and the challenge of maintaining truth in the public sphere is increasingly complex.
As communications pros, we have a responsibility to curb misinformation, from ensuring we aren’t contributing to fake news to debunking rumors.
Misbelief In Misinformation
I have difficulty understanding how people react to things the way they do. Sometimes, friends will share things, and it’s obvious that they’re fake, but they believe it to be true because it supports their beliefs and biases. My favorite right now is all the AI-generated images, which you can TELL are not real by simply looking at the backgrounds, but people share them as if they’re gospel. I hate to be the jerk pointing out that it’s fake, but oy.
Those are usually benign or unharmful. However, think about how quickly an issue escalates when it affects many people’s lives.
I read Misbelief to try to understand the psychology behind why we do this. It was eye-opening, and while I understand it logically, I still don’t emotionally get it. Not that I’m perfect. I’m sure I’ve unintentionally shared something untrue, but I try hard to confirm everything first.
The Human Response to Misinformation
Here’s the thing: when a crisis hits, or we see something that confirms our biases, our brains shift into a distinctive mode of processing information. This isn’t just casual observation—neuroscience research reveals that stress and uncertainty fundamentally change how we evaluate and share information.
As communications professionals, we’ve all seen how normally rational people can react differently when under pressure, sometimes sharing or believing information they would typically question.
MIT research helps explain this phenomenon. During times of uncertainty, our brains prioritize quick answers over careful analysis. This made perfect sense when our ancestors needed to make split-second decisions about physical threats, but it becomes problematic when dealing with complex modern crises. We seek certainty in uncertain times, often latching onto satisfying explanations rather than those that are supported by evidence.
This natural tendency became strikingly apparent when it involves our values and morals.
Take, for instance, when Wayfair was under attack because of a conspiracy theory. It gained traction because it offered a simple, though outrageous, explanation for something as mundane as expensive cabinets. It was said that Wayfair was trafficking children in their furniture, which, of course, is outrageous, but it spread rapidly. It did so because it triggered emotional responses and offered apparent patterns that people could recognize, even though they were entirely coincidental.
The Social Media Amplification Effect
It’s no surprise that social media has transformed how information spreads. Think about that Facebook whisper campaign I mentioned at the start. Back then, it was all about placed stories and OpEds, which seemed sophisticated. But just 13 years later, we’re faced with a far more complex landscape where information spreads through countless channels simultaneously, each with its own dynamics and audience behaviors.
As comms pros, we have to manage it all. In our annual planning, we have to create scenarios where the rumor mill and, worse, mal-, dis-, and misinformation take over campaigns, crises, and customer service.
AI Challenges and Opportunities
And now we have the added benefit and challenge of artificial intelligence. On the con side, it’s really easy for people to create convincing fake content, from sophisticated written pieces to manipulated images and videos.
On the other hand, it also offers us powerful tools for not just monitoring and responding to potential crises but also for predicting what could be coming in a way we’ve never been able to do before.
Your AI tool of choice uses machine learning to identify patterns in how misinformation spreads, which can only help you spot potential problems early. This technology helps you understand what’s being said about your organizations and how narratives are developing and spreading.
Now you can plan all sorts of scenarios and craft effective responses so that, when something happens, all content is approved, you’ve created your “if this, then that” scenarios, and you just have to hit go. I’m a big fan of using AI to determine what we humans have missed—and create a plan that allows us to think about everything, not just the things we can come up with collectively during a brainstorming session.
Building Modern Response Capabilities
I’ve been thinking about this as the rumor mill has gone crazy during the hurricanes. We’ve heard everything from the Democrats creating hurricanes to the federal government seizing your land if you don’t pay back a FEMA loan (both of these things are untrue).
This hurricane season has been so bad that FEMA had to create a page on its website to dispel rumors.
We handled a crisis last year that involved so much fake news being shared that it was almost laughable (if we hadn’t been exhausted). We also had a constantly updated page on the website to dispel the rumors. But not everyone believed us, even when presented with facts or experiencing the truth themselves. It was a completely new look at how to handle crisis communications.
It used to be that crisis communications experts were kept busy with real crises, but everyone else in the profession was spared having to worry about them. They’d bring in experts to help plan each year, but that plan hardly ever saw the light of day.
Today, every one of us has to have crisis experience—and we have to know how to handle all of the misinformation out there.
To do that, we need comprehensive systems to identify potential issues early, assess how they’ll affect us, and respond effectively across multiple channels. This doesn’t mean abandoning proven PR principles—rather, it means adapting them for this world.
Trust In Modern Communications
Trust has always been the currency in our work, crisis or not, but it’s become even more challenging in the past few years as trust in governments, NGOs, and the media has declined. The good news is that trust in organizations is higher than that of those other groups, so we have a great opportunity to capitalize on that if we invest in building it before we need it.
This means maintaining transparent communication practices, acknowledging uncertainties honestly, and demonstrating consistent ethical behavior.
Financial markets provide an excellent example of effective trust networks in action. When false rumors threaten market stability, a well-established network of trusted sources—including regulatory agencies, financial institutions, and media outlets—works together to quickly identify and counter dangerous narratives.
This coordinated response model can be emulated by building relationships with external sources, such as industry journalists, academia, and influencers before you need them. If you also work in an industry where a community will help, take time to build a network of brand ambassadors who will help you in a crisis.
Misinformation In a Digital World
The key lies in preparation and practice. If you regularly simulate crisis scenarios and think about everything that could possibly affect the business, you develop muscle memory for rapid response. You learn to identify what requires immediate action versus what can wait for more detailed analysis. You discover how to maintain accuracy while still meeting the need for quick information.
Create pre-approved messaging that you can quickly adapt to specific situations. Establish clear escalation procedures so you know exactly when and how to engage senior leadership. And, if you have a week like McDonald’s had last week, you’ll be ready.
That said, it requires more than just you being ready. It demands that the organization be committed to truth and transparency. Every employee can become a communication channel, so they need to understand their role in maintaining accurate information. This means regular training about verification procedures, response protocols, and the importance of maintaining message consistency.
Technology supports these efforts but shouldn’t drive them. While monitoring tools and response platforms help teams work more efficiently, human judgment remains essential. The most effective organizations combine technological capabilities with strong human insight and decision-making.
Facing Future Misinformation Challenges
The landscape of misinformation continues to evolve. Emerging technologies like deepfakes and advanced AI content generation create new challenges for maintaining truth in public discourse. Social media platforms constantly adjust their algorithms and features, changing how information spreads. Political and social polarization can turn even minor communication missteps into major controversies.
However, these challenges also drive innovation. New verification tools help identify manipulated content. Improved monitoring systems provide earlier warning of potential issues. Advanced analytics offer better insight into how messages spread and affect different audiences.
Success in combating misinformation requires a balanced approach. Organizations must stay current with technological developments while focusing on fundamental communications principles.
Our job is to build strong networks of trusted partners while developing credibility. Most importantly, we must maintain ethical standards while adapting to new realities.
The battle against misinformation will likely grow more complex as technology advances and social media continues to evolve. However, if we spend time learning how misinformation spreads, how people process information, and how to build effective response systems, we can help our organizations navigate these challenges successfully.
The future of crisis communication may be complex, but it’s also full of possibilities. By combining timeless principles of effective communication with modern tools and understanding, we can work to create a more resilient and truthful information environment.
Our success in this endeavor matters for our organizations and the broader health of public discourse in our digital age.
