Misinformation And Disinformation And Their Impact On The Future Of Pr

Taazima Kala, Chart.PR, General Manager and Chief Consultant at Hotwire. Remember when working in PR was easy, slow-going and relaxed? Well, me neither, but a girl can dream. Reputation management has always been a core part of the PR playbook, but in today’s world, it’s evolved into something far more complex and, frankly, more urgent. The rise of misinformation and disinformation is rearing a new proverbial head every other day (and twice on certain days of the week), and it means that keeping a brand’s public image intact is... It’s about fighting a fast-moving, often invisible enemy: false narratives that spread online quicker than you can say “stakeholders.” You get the drift.

The issue isn’t new, but the scale and velocity are now staggering. Social media is a double-edged sword: It gives brands a platform, but it also gives anyone with a Wi-Fi signal the power to spark chaos. Statista found that, as of December 2020, nearly 40% of people in the U.S. had shared fake news online without realizing it. It’s unlikely that number has gone down. And now with AI churning out convincing deepfakes and fabricated articles in seconds, the line between fact and fiction is blurrier than ever.

Not all AI is a threat, but it certainly requires guardrails, discernment and a solid grip on reality. In many markets, there are no solid systems to detect or counter false narratives in real time. Even when platforms try, they’re often too late. The damage is done. It’s like trying to gather feathers after throwing them into the wind—near impossible. For PR professionals, the takeaway is clear: Traditional tools aren’t enough.

If we don’t frame the narrative from the outset, we’ll be left scrambling to reclaim stories already hijacked. A Commitment to Sharing Only Accurate and Truthful Information How PR Pros Can Counter AI Misinformation How This PR Pro Is Helping Communicate Accurate Election Information Even as Trust in Media Falls, Students Can Serve Public Good Most Americans Consider Disinformation a Problem, Study Finds

April marks Disinformation Awareness Month, a global initiative led by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) to spotlight the mounting risks of false and misleading information in our hyper-connected world. As communicators face the twin pressures of media disruption and information warfare, IPR’s latest study—“Navigating a Changing Media Landscape”—arrives as essential reading for global PR professionals. The research, based on interviews with 44 senior communications leaders across sectors, offers a nuanced view of how Chief Communications Officers (CCOs) and media relations professionals are adapting to an increasingly volatile media environment—not... The contraction of the journalism industry is not confined to North America. Across the globe, local and regional news outlets are being shuttered at an alarming rate. In the UK, the Press Gazette has reported the closure of nearly 300 local publications over the past two decades.

In Africa and parts of Asia, news organisations face severe funding shortages and political pressures. In the Gulf and South Asia, state-linked or politically influenced media dominate, further distorting the information landscape. IPR’s report underscores that fewer journalists are covering broader beats with less depth, time, and industry knowledge—forcing communicators to step in as both educators and content providers. “We’re often dealing with someone covering a catch-all beat… It puts the onus on us to educate reporters,” said one insurance comms director. There’s a world of information at our fingertips, but how much can we actually trust it? Research shows misinformation is spreading faster than ever – up to six times faster than accurate news items – with digital platforms enabling the amplification of fake stories, erroneous claims, or unreliable information.

Whether misinformation is shared intentionally or by accident, the risks for PR pros are the same. It can erode trust in the brand you represent, undoing years of hard work in minutes. While you can’t control what other people say or share online, you should be aware of how PR and misinformation are linked, and what you can do when you encounter it – all of... Fill out the form to download our guide on PR and misinformation now. Whether it comes in the form of deepfakes, fake news, or conspiracy theories, misinformation is causing disruption not just for the media, but organizations and society at large. For brands who find themselves at the center of false news claims, the negative implications can be profound.

Misinformation is one of the biggest battles in today’s media news world. It has been a late trend in the last decade, and some might say it has divided the U.S. Misinformation has also affected people who work in the Public relations world. AI has also made it more difficult for people in PR to fight erroneous information by encouraging media literacy, guaranteeing openness, and offering fact-based information. However, there are ways to naviagate the new age of misinformation. In a time of disinformation, PR practitioners can use their communication abilities, media contacts, and strategic messaging to defend reputations and promote truth.

Proactively disseminating accurate, open, and timely information helps them to influence stories before lies take hold. Monitoring digital platforms for developing disinformation lets them react quickly and fix errors. According to Nachshen (2023), “ As PR counselors, we can also help our organizations put systems and processes in place to monitor and detect misinformation, whether from AI or other sources. At the same time, organizations need to have a process to quickly validate information, because not every unflattering video will be a deepfake ( p.1).” Supporting consistent messaging and matching corporate behavior with declared principles also helps to foster confidence significantly. Teaching media literacy and ethical communication to clients and stakeholders helps to strengthen integrity even further.

By doing this, PR experts become vital defenders of credibility in today’s complicated information environment. According to Nachshen (2023), ” We can also use our communications expertise to advise organizational leaders on how and when to respond to misinformation. We can pre-identify spokespeople and content distribution channels and help ensure the organizations we serve have plans in place to share timely and accurate information — assuming that it’s appropriate to do so (p.1).” The Negative Effects of Misinformation and Disinformation Misinformation and disinformation weaken public trust and distort reality by disseminating inaccurate or misleading information that confuses audiences and reduces faith in reliable sources. Misformation—false information supplied without malicious intent—and disinformation—deliberately misleading information meant to deceive—cause communication difficulties for companies.

The Commission on Information Disorder Final Report (2021, as cited in PRSA, 2021) Lying and distorting facts to sow mistrust has become a tactic of mainstream political and issue campaigns, it says. “Compounding the problem is the media’s continued repetition, amplification and rewarding of those who lie” by giving them high-profile coverage instead of providing the public with facts and holding liars to account ( The... This trend is often seen a lot on FOX News, CNN, and MSNBC daily. Disinformation is no longer just an election-day phenomenon. In previous election cycles, headlines were often dominated by worries about foreign disinformation inciting violence, but the 2024 election cycle has introduced a new perspective. This year’s relatively low-profile disinformation efforts highlight both the success of election security initiatives and the shifting nature of influence operations by adversarial actors.

Yet, this shift also serves as a stark reminder that disinformation is now an endemic issue that affects far more than just isolated events like elections. Instead of focusing on blatant, violence-inciting content, activists are adopting a more insidious approach. They’re seeding subtle falsehoods, exploiting existing societal divisions, and manipulating narratives over longer periods. This “slow drip” of disinformation can be harder to detect and counter, but its cumulative effect can be just as damaging. Adding to this complex landscape, Lisa Kaplan, CEO of disinformation detection startup Alethea, highlighted the rise of activist-driven disinformation at the IPR Commissions and Centers Summit in New York City on Dec. 3.

Brands are targeted for their perceived political stances or social responsibility initiatives, Kaplan noted. Companies like Harley Davidson, Walmart, and Target have been caught in the crossfire, facing boycotts and accusations of being “too woke” or not woke enough. This weaponization of disinformation by activists presents a unique challenge for PR, demanding careful navigation of public sentiment and stakeholder expectations. The rise of new social media platforms like BlueSky, coupled with the evolving nature of established platforms like X (Twitter), further complicates the disinformation landscape. PR teams must adapt their strategies to reach audiences across these diverse platforms, while contending with the increasing prevalence of activist accounts masquerading as journalists. Furthermore, the workshop emphasized the growing mistrust of traditional media, with a significant portion of the population turning to infotainment for their news.

According to Pew Research, 86% of Americans got their news often or sometimes from digital devices, versus 63% for TV, 42% for radio and only 26% often or sometimes from newspapers. This trend makes it even more challenging to combat disinformation and ensure accurate information reaches the public. In a digital landscape that moves at the speed of light, the rise of fake news has become a significant challenge for public relations (PR) professionals. Fake news presents new and growing challenges to PR efforts, with misinformation spreading rapidly across social media platforms and even traditional news outlets. The growing public distrust of media and the need to safeguard brand reputation have transformed how PR firms operate, making it critical to understand and navigate this new reality. Fake news, often defined as false or misleading information presented as legitimate news, has gained traction due to the widespread use of social media and the internet’s ability to disseminate information instantly.

A recent study found that falsehoods reach 1,500 people six times faster than the truth. This phenomenon is not just a problem for the general public but also for brands and PR firms tasked with maintaining a positive image in an increasingly skeptical world. The ease with which fake news can be created and shared has led to a significant rise in misinformation. A single tweet, blog post, or video can go viral within minutes, reaching millions of people before any fact-checking can occur. This speed and reach pose a unique challenge for PR professionals, who must now be more vigilant than ever in monitoring the digital landscape for potential threats to their clients’ reputations. As fake news continues to expand its reach, public trust in the media has eroded.

According to a recent survey by Gallup, 29% of U.S. adults have “not very much” trust, while a record-high 39% register “none at all.” That means nearly four in 10 Americans completely lack confidence in the media. This growing distrust means that even legitimate news sources can struggle to maintain credibility, impacting the effectiveness of PR campaigns. For PR firms, this distrust presents a double-edged sword. On the one hand, working with credible media outlets is necessary to get clients’ messages across. On the other hand, there is an increasing awareness that audiences may be skeptical of any news, making it harder to build and maintain trust.

PR professionals must now go beyond traditional media relations, focusing on transparency, authenticity, and building direct relationships with their target audiences. The Escalating Threat of Misinformation and Disinformation: A New Era for Reputation Management In an era characterized by declining trust in established institutions and the unchecked rise of social media, a new battleground has emerged for reputation managers: the fight against misinformation and disinformation. Fueled by the rapid advancements and increasing accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI), the spread of false and misleading information poses a significant threat to brands, individuals, and even societal stability. Senior communications leaders recently convened to discuss the escalating challenges and explore innovative strategies to navigate this complex landscape. Targeted Attacks and Industry-Specific Challenges:

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