Fake news has always existed, although social networks and their great capacity to viralise all kinds of content have turned it into a phenomenon of unstoppable dimensions. A phenomenon, moreover, that is no longer linked only to political circles, but also reaches companies and corporations all over the world.
Disinformation is an evil that has found in social networks and digital tools a means of propagation that is difficult to control, causing confusion and, on many occasions, alarm, as is being demonstrated these days with the hoaxes and hoaxes. fake news created around the coronavirus, its effects and the management carried out by different countries. All disinformation campaigns have a common objective: to sow doubt in the population so that it will act in one direction or another, depending on the interests of the campaign's promoter. In the case of COVID-19, the aim has been to make citizens distrust the authorities, making them believe that they are always hiding something. The problem is that We all contribute to the spread of fake news without being aware of it. and, moreover, the possibility of being accepted as information is high, given that most of them are shared by friends, family and people they trust through WhatsApp, a supposedly private space far from the information noise of social networks.
The descriptive narrative around fake news is familiar to all. We are currently witnessing many reflections, comments and interpretations. However, I think it is appropriate to keep in mind an explanation that I heard a few days ago during a videoconference organised by the Association Digitales. Ignacio Torreblanca, director of the Madrid office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, pointed out that the breeding ground for the disinformation that is plaguing the world is due to a "information crisisThe crisis is based on five pillars: confusion (citizens are not sure about the news they receive), cynicism (citizens stop paying attention and trusting), fragmentation (there are numerous information niches and biased conversations), responsibility (unregulated organisations) and apathy. This political scientist stated that this information crisis has its origins in the crisis of representative democracy and the crisis of the traditional media.
The truth is that, as we said at the beginning, this phenomenon is no longer only associated with political parties or governments. Its ripple effect has reached brands and advertisers. A study by the NGO Avaaz recently warned that YouTube's algorithms not only contribute every day to spreading misinformation about climate change through their videosThe denialism that exists on this issue appears to be sponsored by large companies such as Warner Bros, Decathlon, Samsug, Carrefour or organisations such as Greenpeace Spain or the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)..
But what's really the problem here? That the companies involved in this case were not aware that their advertising messages were accompanied by viral lies, something that can easily happen when using programmatic advertising tools, which analyse whether the content is appropriate for the advertising brand, but do not go into assessing the veracity of the content published. It is also true that little by little the big Internet players such as Google, Facebook and Twitter have begun to take measures against disinformation under pressure from companies and institutions.
However, it is not only this type of advertising model that can damage a company's image. We have recently witnessed several cases of fake news related to major brands such as Coca-Cola (whose drinks were said to contain parasites) or Mercadona (which saw a hoax spread about its mayonnaise), which leads us to consider it vital that companies take note and take appropriate measures to prevent a disinformation campaign from causing irreparable damage to their reputation.
However, what measures can companies take to combat rumours and fake news?
The first thing is that the management of social media and the brand's presence in the digital ecosystem must be more than exquisite.. Any error on these platforms can be the source of a big fire. Brands have to be attentive to what is circulating at all times on these channels, using analysis and monitoring tools. This may seem obvious, but not all companies do it.
Of course, it is essential to have a pre-crisis planThe protocol, which determines the spokesperson, the organisation's strategic plan for action and how to deal with possible negative developments. Linked to this protocol, it is very important to communicate internally with employees and collaborators, informing them of the company's position in the event that false news or rumours are spread and how they should act.
It is also very important that a counter-rumour groupIt is the responsibility of the media to disseminate truths that counteract the effect of rumour. In this sense, a battery of clear and simple messages must be developed. From there, it is time to dominate the networks of influence with these counter-rumours, reaching as many channels as possible. It would also be interesting to find a way to ridicule the rumour or hoax, focusing on its ambiguities and disproving the source of the rumour or hoax with real and convincing data.
Barbara Yuste
Director of the Digital Area of Proa Comunicación