Truth never damages a cause that is just
— Mahatma Gandhi
Although the term fake news has been around for over a century, the 2016 American general elections catapulted the term to fame in modern politics. Since then, the term has found its way into other aspects of life including health, business , entertainment and sports. Colloquially defined, the term fake news refers to news that is untrue and fabricated with little or no verifiable facts and credible sources. By its very definition, fake news is made up and thus, can destroy reputations. As such, businesses, corporations, public figures and governments must put in place measures for dealing with fake news to protect their reputation. Forbes recommends some effective ways of dealing with fake news as follows:
Monitor all news and information surrounding your business
The first step in dealing with fake news is that you have to be prepared for it. That implies proactivity, entities must monitor news around their organization or brand and be prepared to take action immediately when fake news is spotted to stem the spread. Quickly spotting and addressing fake news is important because of the severe financial impact it can have on a business and sometimes the business of its partnerships. One way to address this issue is to provide business partners and other Key stakeholders with credible information to enable them easily decipher factual news from misleading news. This builds trust with business partners and key stakeholders who may be willing to give your brand the benefit of the doubt until the facts are established
Create a Fake news response protocol
In this digital age where anyone can share information with a wider audience with very little or no filter, businesses must anticipate fake news. Businesses must have a fake news response protocol in place. Fake news speaks quickly and causes more damage to an organization’s reputation the more it spreads. As such, a fake news response protocol must be in place to trigger a quick and effective response from organizations. This includes having a team with easy access to verifiable facts about all aspects of the business ready to respond using the appropriate channels. The appropriate channel is often the channel that the business has the strongest following. Other channels however must not be ignored. In the effort to present quick and credible information to disrupt fake news, organizations must not lose focus on ethical guidelines like confidentiality and cultural insensitivities. The business runs at legal risk and also risks the trust of its business partner if done without thought.
Control the Narrative
The most important tool fake news has is its narrative. Fake news often tells news stories that people will find controversial. Thus, fake news relies on sensationalism to pique the minds of its audience. Businesses must then control the narrative and not let the narrative control them. To effectively do this, businesses must build a strong online presence characterized by a long-standing reputation for telling the truth. Telling the truth implies being consistently transparent and authentic with your messaging. The message to be released must identify the untruths in the fake story and address them with verified and factual information. This makes it easy for audiences to believe your side of the story and empathize with you.
Be mindful of the Streisand Effect
One of the crucial things to consider is how to deal with fake news without giving too much credence to it. As evidenced in the case of Barbara Streisand it is possible to give bad news more attention with the actions you take against it. Instead of taking aggressive steps, be mindful of the tone of the message, it must respond firmly and appropriately but not controversially. It is important to avoid public spats with the account the fake news originates from. In addition, businesses can fight negative news with positive press. This can be done by releasing positive messages to drown the fake news. Microsoft and Bill Gates often achieve positive press by releasing more position news on the progress of the Bill and Melissa Gates foundation and positively relatable content such as Bill Gates washing the dishes every morning.
To conclude
Fake news has grown to become a potent tool in shaping public perceptions about Businesses, people and governments. This makes it ever so important that businesses tell the truth. An organization with a long-standing reputation for being transparent, honest, and authentic with its messaging is likely to create strong bonds with all stakeholders both internal and external. Organizations must also arm their employees with facts and narratives as they are often a source of information for the media.