By Chan Desai, Account Strategist — Otter PR
The term “fake news” has entered the cultural zeitgeist and taken hold in the last decade. Used as a way to discredit news sources, media outlets, or virtually anyone with an opposing narrative, it has led to widespread misinformation and distrust between media and the public.
Once a compelling fake news story has taken hold, it can be difficult — if not impossible — to completely dispel rumor, innuendo, and outright lies. A recent study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism showed that 55% of respondents were concerned about the spread of fake news. Although 39% of respondents from the same study claimed to be “very confident” about their ability to spot fake news, the predominance of such news stories and media shared daily online often tell a much different story.
Source: https://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/stats/fake-news-statistics.html
In fact, during the heated 2020 Presidential election, verifiable fake news spread on Facebook received six times more clicks than genuine and true news stories. Those fake news stories were also widely shared and believed, influencing the thoughts, relationships, and lives of millions of readers.
As the threat of fake news continues to have relevance into the 2020s, a question remains: how do those with a story to tell the media maintain their authenticity, believability, and trust? The truth, however, is that obtaining and sharing authentic media coverage and engagement with readers is far from impossible, despite how challenging it may seem in this age of rampant misinformation.
When setting out to unleash a unique story onto the world, the first step is to always remain your most authentic and genuine self, while ensuring you also consume and share media responsibly. Here are some tips on maintaining authenticity so your audience can more easily discern real news from false in the era of fake news predominance.
Verify sources
Before accepting or sharing any content from news publications, always double-check the credibility of the source. While this sounds like common sense, it is a skill that must be continually refined amid an onslaught of fake news outlets.
According to a recent study from the Journal of Consumer Psychology, only about 50% of people end up reading an entire article after being enticed by its headline. That means another 50% of all people consuming news are sharing, commenting on, or forming an opinion about headlines only — without any nuance or additional context. While the news story connected to the headline may be legitimate, if the person sharing or accepting the story is not reading it before passing it on to others, they are unknowingly supporting the spread of misinformation simply by sharing a sensationalized headline without context.
Reliable sources should have a long, verifiable track record of accuracy and transparency, and the writers and researchers they have on staff should be accredited and well-regarded. There should be little to no bias or conjecture connected to the stories one shares if it is to be considered genuine “news.”
When seeking a source for a client’s story, or even your own, make sure that your sources are also reliable and verified journalists. You never want a media source known for publishing fake news or misinformation to feature your story. Otherwise, you may risk a massive blow to your credibility and authority, as well as the trust your audience has in you.
Cross-reference information
With the rapid growth of social media and ease of internet access from virtually anywhere in the world, almost anyone today can publish information and call it “news.” This is one reason why we must also acknowledge how easy it can be to believe fake news, or at least initially.
When a news story makes headlines across social media or newspapers, it helps to discern real from fake by cross-referencing the information it contains. To this extent, always check multiple sources to verify the story’s key pieces of information — people, dates, times, and places, for example — are consistent across legitimate news sources.
Source: https://www.security.org/digital-security/misinformation-disinformation-survey/
If you cannot verify the information and are only seeing it from a handful of lesser-known sources, there are likely to be several inaccuracies or strong biases within the story and its information. Many of these fringe sites and media outlets can look quite professional and polished, but this only highlights the importance of making it a habit to check multiple reputable sources to verify if a story is true and its information accurate.
Fact-check before sharing
One way to get an audience to engage with you — whether as an influencer, a brand, or a business — is to share interesting stories that resonate with them on a personal level. However, if you hit that “share” button without checking whether or not a story is even true, you could easily run into trouble with your audience.
Without properly fact-checking your sources or information ahead of sharing a link to a particular news story, you risk painting yourself or your business as inauthentic, or even dishonest. Although it is possible to recover from this, the best approach is to be proactive, rather than reactive.
Just as cross-referencing can help you verify information before posting or sharing, fact-checking can help keep you out of trouble. There are numerous fact-checking organizations and tools available that can help guide you when you wish to share stories or information with your audience, including Snopes, PolitiFact, and FactCheck.org, to name a few.
Promote media literacy
To fight the spread of fake news and misinformation, one must first become an ally for authenticity and help encourage media literacy among one’s network, including close friends and family. If someone you know posts a link from an erroneous source or a story that has already been previously proven incorrect, the best approach is usually to tell them discreetly and direct them towards the correct information.
Keep in mind, however, that this will not work for everyone you encounter. While the majority of people who share misinformation are simply not well-versed in media literacy approaches and will often appreciate the guidance, there will always be those who are more dedicated to their fake news sources and will refuse to stray from them.
Moreover, it’s critical that we educate younger generations about fake news and misinformation, as they also may not possess strong media literacy. Young Gen Zers and members of Generation Alpha are the first generations who have grown up in an age of digital saturation, and are constantly surrounded by media sources that command their attention and engagement. This is why promoting media literacy must begin early, so that direction can be given to everyone on how to discern real stories from fake news in the media.
The future of fake news
Today’s PR professionals, business leaders, and media experts have their work cut out for them in combating fake news. The future of misinformation is aided by the use of AI, deep fake technology, and bad actors who benefit from the spread of misinformation. Most of us witnessed the devastating effects that misinformation could have during the pandemic, when rampant fake news, rumors, and inauthentic sources caused significant confusion, anger, and division worldwide.
In a recent Pew Research study, a poll of experts found that just over half of respondents believe the future of media will not see an improvement in regards to the spread of misinformation. Researchers cited human instinct as a large reason. When we view fake news and misinformation through a psychological lens, we understand that human beings have a desire to reinforce their deeply held beliefs.
As a result, we tend to seek out information that allows us to accomplish this, even if we have been told time and again that our sources — or the information itself — is incorrect. When we do this long enough, we inadvertently create an echo chamber.
What the future holds for fake news is still up in the air, but misinformation and its spread through media outlets and news stories will not be going away anytime soon. PR professionals, media experts, and those who consume media will need to be cognizant of changes in the way news is dispersed and shared, and follow the tips of verifying sources and staying media literate in order to combat the proliferation of fake news.
About the Author: Chan Desai is an Account Strategist and Manager for Otter PR. Her experience stems from direct fieldwork in media and public relations, working in-house and with agencies alike.