Look to Advocates and Influencers to Battle Disinformation

Online disinformation and misinformation have long been a thorn in the side of organizations. The rapid spread of false information, fueled by individuals who believe and share it, poses a significant challenge. After all, “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it,” as Jonathan Swift astutely observed back in 1710. (The Americanized version has a lie circling the globe before the truth gets its pants on.)

Numerous resources provide valuable tactics for businesses targeted by disinformation. However, these strategies would be far more effective if accompanied by a group of individuals actively sharing facts to counter the online horde spreading falsehoods.

Let’s start with some definitions. Disinformation refers to intentionally fabricated or manipulated content aimed at spreading conspiracy theories or rumors. Misinformation, on the other hand, generally refers to unintentional errors, such as sharing a satirical article from The Onion as if it were true. It can also refer to disinformation innocently shared by individuals who genuinely believe it.

While discussions surrounding disinformation have mainly revolved around political and social issues, businesses are not exempt from its impact.

• In the UK, a conspiracy theory linking Covid-19 to 5G wireless networks led to threats against employees of wireless companies, resulting in the destruction of some mobile wireless transmitters. A BT Group employee even ended up being stabbed and hospitalized.
• A fake news article claimed that a major social media company was the target of a $31-million takeover bid, causing its stock price to soar as part of a stock trading scheme.
• Home goods retailer Wayfair fell victim to a conspiracy alleging that the company engaged in trafficking young girls. Despite promptly debunking the claim, posts perpetuating it continue to surface.
• During the peak of the pandemic, a London-based PR agency approached French and German social media influencers to spread false information about Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine.
• The merger of a prominent semiconductor company with another tech firm was jeopardized when fake news, featuring a fabricated Department of Defense memo, spread false claims about national security threats. Both companies saw their stock prices plummet as a result (yet another ploy to cash in on a stock trade).
• A fake coupon circulated, promising a 40-percent discount on menu items at Starbucks for undocumented immigrants.
• A video purportedly showed a self-driving Tesla crashing into a prototype robot at the Consumer Electronics Show. Tesla did not have a self-driving car, and the robot footage was part of a publicity stunt.

As Reputation Doctor president Mike Paul said in an NBC interview, “Fake news today is like a modern-day tech suicide bomber.”

Unfortunately, the situation is set to worsen with the advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence. This technology enables malevolent actors to craft realistic fake news items and social media posts. Services like Midjourney and DALL-E 2 can generate photorealistic images of events that never took place.

In response to accusations that Wayfair was involved in trafficking young girls by giving its overpriced storage cabinets girls’ names, the company quickly clarified that an algorithm was responsible for product names. (Wayfair is not alone in using people’s first names to brand items.) The company also explained that these were industrial cabinets, hence the high prices. The items in question were temporarily removed from the website for renaming and to provide more detailed descriptions. Nonetheless, rumors persist, and new ones continue to surface. Wayfair found itself engaged in a virtual game of whack-a-mole.

Sharing accurate information—even when done quickly—is not enough. The facts need to spread in order to reach as many of those who saw the false information as possible. This is where advocates and influencers play a crucial role.

In recent years, numerous companies have implemented employee advocacy programs, where employees share company content within their own networks, exponentially expanding the reach of the messages the company shared in its official channels. Organizations have also recruited influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to use their notoriety to spread brand messages. Both of these avenues can significantly amplify a company’s response to fake news, particularly if employees and influencers emphasize the importance of resharing the message.

To prepare for engaging these cohorts, consider the following tactics:

• Train employee advocates to identify and report disinformation and misinformation. These individuals can serve as a vital frontline defense against false information.
• Encourage employee advocates to share accurate information with their networks. They can provide links you provide to fact-checking websites or share articles from reputable news sources to which you point them.
• Collaborate with external influencers to amplify accurate information to an even broader audience. Influencers can share links to fact-checking websites or create videos debunking false claims. Voluntary sharing by influencers is ideal (although some bad actors may pay influencers to spread fake news), but in severe cases, allocating resources to spread the truth may be worthwhile.
• Develop educational materials on misinformation and disinformation for both employees and customers. These resources can help people recognize false information and stay informed about current events.

When combined with other anti-disinformation efforts, such as media outreach, the dissemination of accurate information by supporters can help the truth gain traction more swiftly and shield organizations from the worst consequences of disinformation.

Generative AI image created in Adobe Firefly.