It’s YOUR business to combat fake news: A manager’s guide ...
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1 It’s YOUR business to combat fake news: A manager’s guide to protecting your business Dr Jenny Hou School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University Note: This report is part of a larger research project entitled “The Real Implications of Fake News”, funded by the US-based Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, which brings public relations academics and industry practitioners together for international collaboration. The researcher, awarded a 2017 Plank Fellowship, worked with the global leading PR consultancy Burson-Marsteller’s (New York office) Public Affairs and Crisis Communication team on this project. Executive summary The “daily show” of fake news has posed unprecedented challenges in both the political and business realms in our globally connected world via Internet and social media. Despite being an age-old problem, fake news has become an industry of its own since the US presidential election last year. As multiple factors can spawn fake news, ranging from economic, political, technological and social drivers, this research posits that it is not necessarily truth (facts) but truthiness (perceived truth) that critically influences an organisation’s reputation and bottom- line. This research addresses how business organisations should take initiatives to combat fake news, rather than shift the blame to, or pin hopes on, media, technologies, regulators or news consumers. Based on content analysis of three case studies, the results offer not only technical tips of countering fake news, but also long-term strategies, including: 1) Do the daily due diligence and relationship-building; 2) Be honest with communication; 3) Proactive issue management; and 4) Invest to develop public relations literacy. Introduction: What matters most in the era of fake news? “Post-truth” became the international word of 2016, according to The Oxford Dictionary. It denotes that hard facts and evidence are less powerful in forming public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief (Derian, 2017). Barely a day goes by without one being greeted by the words “fake” and “news” in some combination or other, while reading a newspaper or news online. Buzzfeed found that fake news stories on Facebook, whereby 62 per cent of U.S. adults get news, drastically outperformed actual news stories (MacKey & Jacobson, 2016). A Pew Research study also reported that 23 per cent of social media users admitted having shared a made-up news story – either knowingly or not (Madison, 2017). While fake news dates back to the first and second world wars, it is hard to define exactly what fake news is: Falsehoods? Misinformation? Hoaxes? Newfangled propaganda? Biased media reports? Malice from competitors? Or simply anything that one disagrees with and dislikes?
Transcript of It’s YOUR business to combat fake news: A manager’s guide ...
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It’sYOURbusinesstocombatfakenews:Amanager’sguidetoprotectingyourbusiness
DrJennyHouSchoolofCommunication,JournalismandMarketing,MasseyUniversity
Note: This report is partof a larger researchproject entitled “TheReal Implicationsof FakeNews”,fundedbytheUS-basedPlankCenterforLeadershipinPublicRelations,whichbringspublicrelationsacademicsandindustrypractitionerstogetherforinternationalcollaboration.Theresearcher,awardeda2017PlankFellowship,workedwiththegloballeadingPRconsultancyBurson-Marsteller’s(NewYorkoffice)PublicAffairsandCrisisCommunicationteamonthisproject.ExecutivesummaryThe“dailyshow”offakenewshasposedunprecedentedchallengesinboththepoliticalandbusinessrealmsinourgloballyconnectedworldviaInternetandsocialmedia.Despitebeinganage-oldproblem,fakenewshasbecomeanindustryofitsownsincetheUSpresidentialelectionlastyear.Asmultiplefactorscanspawnfakenews,rangingfromeconomic,political,technologicalandsocialdrivers,thisresearchpositsthatitisnotnecessarilytruth(facts)buttruthiness(perceivedtruth)thatcriticallyinfluencesanorganisation’sreputationandbottom-line.Thisresearchaddresseshowbusinessorganisationsshouldtakeinitiativestocombatfakenews,ratherthanshifttheblameto,orpinhopeson,media,technologies,regulatorsornewsconsumers.Basedoncontentanalysisofthreecasestudies,theresultsoffernotonlytechnicaltipsofcounteringfakenews,butalsolong-termstrategies,including: 1)Dothedailyduediligenceandrelationship-building; 2)Behonestwithcommunication; 3)Proactiveissuemanagement;and 4)Investtodeveloppublicrelationsliteracy.Introduction:Whatmattersmostintheeraoffakenews?“Post-truth”becamethe internationalwordof2016,according toTheOxfordDictionary. Itdenotesthathardfactsandevidencearelesspowerfulinformingpublicopinionthanappealstoemotionandpersonalbelief(Derian,2017).Barelyadaygoesbywithoutonebeinggreetedbythewords“fake”and“news”insomecombinationorother,whilereadinganewspaperornewsonline.BuzzfeedfoundthatfakenewsstoriesonFacebook,whereby62percentofU.S.adultsgetnews,drasticallyoutperformedactualnewsstories(MacKey&Jacobson,2016).APewResearch study also reported that 23 per cent of socialmedia users admitted havingsharedamade-upnewsstory–eitherknowinglyornot (Madison,2017).While fakenewsdatesbacktothefirstandsecondworldwars,itishardtodefineexactlywhatfakenewsis:Falsehoods? Misinformation? Hoaxes? Newfangled propaganda? Biased media reports?Malicefromcompetitors?Orsimplyanythingthatonedisagreeswithanddislikes?
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Anumberofdevelopmentshavesupportedtheproliferationandspreadoffakenewsinthedigitalworld,whichdrivesresearchintodifferentdirections.Bycriticisingjournalisticrelianceon socialmedia for news sources and lack of verification, some researchers callmedia tostrengthen ethics and rule out fake news (Snodgrass, 2017). Other studies attribute theresponsibilitytonewsconsumers,assumingthatfakenewswouldnotbeaproblemifpeopledidn’tfallforitandshareit.Researchdiscoveredhumanpsychologicalmakeup,suchasmentalshortcuts(preferringdigestiblecontentwithoutdoingresearch)andconfirmationbias(onlybelievingthosereinforcingpre-existingvalues),isamajorreasonpeoplewelcomefakenews.Others say the blame lies with social media technologies and Internet companies, whosealgorithms tend to reward jokes, novelty, feelings, sensational commentary, or anythingleadingtoshareability.Therehasemergedastrongfinancialstimulustoboostthecirculationoffakenews,suchasclickbaitsites–themorepeopleclickapost,themoremoneythosefakenewssitesearn. Thecomplexity isfarbeyondtheabove,especiallywhentherearegreyzonesbetweenthefactandfiction,realityandperception,andwhenthetruthinessinsteadoftruthinfluencespeoplemost.AsthedirectorofFactCheck.org,anonprofitfact-checkinggroupbasedattheUniversityofPennsylvaniaremindsus,manyclaimsandstoriesarenotentirelyfalse,buthavethekernelsoftruth(JenniferStromer-Galley,2016).Againstthisbackdrop,thisresearchlookedatamorepressing,butyetunresolved,issue:Howbusinessorganisations,aspotentialvictimsof fake news, should take initiatives to protect themselves. The research idea is based onrecognisingthat,evenifthenuancedmanifestationsoffakenewscanneverbeexhausted,thethriving economies of lies continue to exist. People’s truthiness and confirmation bias stillcountandeventhoughtheseareallexternalfactors,corporationscandefinitelydosomethingtochangethegame.Data:AninnovativepracticeandthreecasestudiesTheresearchercollaboratedwithBurson-Marsteller’sNewYorkteamthroughthe2017PlankCenterPublicRelationsEducatorFellowshipprogram.BythetimetheresearcherjoinedtheFellowship,thefirmhadestablishedaProfessionalPracticesCommitteeonFakeNews.Thecommittee’sremitistoserveasprofessionalguidestobothBuson-Marstellar’semployeesandclientsonhowtoprepareforthenew“fakenewsenvironment.”Asaninnovativepractice,theCommitteeamassesawidespectrumofprofessionals,includingcorporatePRmanagers,theagency’s PR consultants, former independent journalists, academics, and thought leadersspecialisinginbusinesscommunications. LedbytheresearcherandfacilitatedbytheCommittee,“TheRealImplicationsofFakeNews”projectdrawsfromarangeofcasestudiesintheUnitedStates,threeofwhicharereportedhere:CNNairing30-minutesofpornography;Coca-ColarecallingDanisaWaterProducts;andBeefProductsInc.(BPI)suingABCNews.Thesecasestudiescovereddifferenttypesoffake
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news(i.e.,hoax,falsehood,defamation)andshowcasedifferentorganisationaloutcomesdueto distinct response strategies. Data were gathered from content analysis of both mediacoverage (how fake news portrayed incidents), and organisational press releases andstatements(howcorporationsresponded). • CaseStudy1(Hoax):CNNairing30-minutepornography
Fakenewstrack: On24thNovember2016,atwitteruserposted“CNNbroadcast30minutesofpornographyinsteadof ‘AnthonyBourdain’sPartsUnknown’ inBoston”.Thispostbecameane-rumourquicklywiththehashtag#BourdainPorn.Itwasthenimmediatelypickedupbymainstreammedia(e.g.,Independent,DailyMail)andsmallwebsites(e.g.,SputnikNews,RT.com).EventhepornstarRileyQuinninthephotos“acknowledged”ontwitter“Hey@CNNthanksforthefreeairtime”.From23rdNovember to1stDecember2016,ourmonitoringdetected61,407mediaresults.ThetopfiveinfluentialtwitteraccountstospreadthenewswereFoxNews,HuffPost,Mashable,USATodayandGizmodo.AfterCNNandthe localcableproviderRCNdeclaredthisincidentdidnotactuallyoccur,publicsstartedtoaccusetheoriginaltwitteruserofperpetratingawidely-circulatedhoax,andsubsequentmediacoveragelabelledthis“fakenews”. Organisationalresponses: CNN’s image suffered from its obtuse and inconsistent communication strategies. Initially,CNN tried to scapegoat RCNwithout investigating the issue first, stating: "The RCN cableoperator inBostonaired inappropriatecontentfor30minutesonCNNlastnight.CNNhasaskedforanexplanation."Lateron,theybacktrackedtodenytheproblem,saying“Afterinitialinvestigation,RCNassuredusthattherewasno interruptionofCNN’sprogramming intheBostonarea.”TheincidentendedupwithanofficialclarificationfromRCN,confirmingthattheycontactedtheTwitteruserwhoconfesseditwasonlyahoax.
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• CaseStudy2(Falsehood):Coca-ColarecallingDanisaWaterProducts
Fakenewstrack: InApril2016,anunknownwebsiteNews4KTLAreportedthatCoca-ColahadrecalledDasaniwaterproductsduetoparasitesfoundinbottlesacrossUS.Thecoveragewasfullofartificialfacts,suchashundredsofpeoplebeinghospitalised,theFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)issuinganofficialrecall,accompaniedwithanimageofa“parasite”.However,thisissuewasnotpickedupbymainstreammedia,butonlylimitedtoclickbaitwebsitesandsocialmediausers,whowerepreviouslyskepticaloftheproductandfoundconfirmationoftheirbiasfromthisnews.However,withinashorttime,fact-checksitessuchasSnopes.comdebunkedthisfakenews,andNews10NBCtaggedthisas“noise”not“news”. Organisationalresponses:Coca-Coladirectlyandimmediatelyconfrontedthefakenewswithanofficialstatement:“Thesourceofthis falseand inflammatory informationaboutourbrand isafakenewswebsite.There is no recall of Dasani being conducted in the U.S.” The company alsoworkedwithregulatorsliketheFDAtoseektheirassistanceinclarifyingtherewerenotanycurrentrecallsordiseaseoutbreaksassociatedwithDasaniwater. • CaseStudy3(Defamation):BeefProductsInc.(BPI)suesagainstABCNews
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Fakenewstrack:On5th June2017,BPI fileda$5.7billiondefamation lawsuitagainstABCstemming froma2012newsreportaboutBPI'ssignatureproduct,LeanFinelyTexturedBeef.BPIclaimedthatABChasairednearly200falsestatementsbycallingitsground-beefproduct“pinkslime”in11 news broadcasts and 14 publications. BPI complained the term “pink slime” was verymisleadingtoconsumers,andincurredhugefinanciallossesincludingthreeclosedplants,80%droppedrevenue,and700laid-offworkers.However,ABCinsistedthat“pinkslime”,coinedbyUSscientists,isacommontermusedmorethan3,800timesinthemediapriortoABC’sreports.Thislawsuitiscalled“oneofthemosthigh-stakesdefamationcourtbattlesagainstamediacompanyinU.S.”andcouldbe“thetrialofalifetime”(NewYorkPost,10June2017).Due to the follow-up court reports from other media, both companies have been underquestionsandpubliccriticismforalongtime. Organisationalresponses:Thedebatebetweenthetwopartieshasfocusedonwhetherthisnewswas“fake”(totallynon-existent) or “malice” (knowingly reportedwith a desire to hurt BPI).While BPI keepsclaiminghugelosses,ABCrequirestheestablishmentofmaliceandmakesappealsbasedonpressfreedom.ThefighthasbeenongoingwithBBI’slong-termlawsuitpreparationandABC’sallegedreviewofeveryaspectofBPI.Thistensioncoulddatebackto2012whenBPIdeclinedABC’sfirstrequestforaninterviewaboutthesafetystandardsofitsproduct.Sincethen,BPIhasadopteda“nocomment”strategytodealwithABCwhich,inturn,hastolookelsewhereforinformationsourcesandverification.Findings:Noeasyfixbuthereistheself-helpguideforglobalmanagersThese three case studies only reveal the tip of the iceberg of the intricate fake newsenvironment where businesses have to survive. There is no easy fix. Nevertheless, thisresearchcontributesakey insight–an“Inside-outApproach”–by looking inwardsathowbusinessescancombatfakenews,ratherthanhopingforchangesinexternalenvironments.Belowisaself-helpguideforglobalmanagers:
Dothedailyduediligenceandrelationship-buildingApartfromthetechnicalandrhetoricalresponsestofakenews,corporationsneedtodotheirownduediligenceof verifyingnews sources, and keepeveryday relationship-building as acornerstoneoftheirPRactivities.Duediligenceinvolvesquestioningtheoriginofinformation,theveracityofcontent,andthetrackofdistribution.Quality“relationships”withawiderangeofstakeholderscountmorethanresponsive“words” ifyouneedtoweatherthe long-termchallengesfromfakenews.Tothisend,keystrategiesinclude:
o Aligningwithcrediblemainstreammediao Leveragingtheimpactfromfact-checksiteso Collectingandcompilingalistoffakenews/clickbaitsites.
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Behonestwithcommunicationandmakeyourorganisationheard
Thispointstoauthenticcommunication–tellingyourorganisation’struth–goodandbad,andincludingyourlimitations.Makethecompanylookrealandbeheardfrommultiplevoicesandchannels.LikeCoca-ColadidinCaseStudy2,confrontfakenewswithyourowncorrectionanddriveitthroughsocialmedia.IfyouareinanambiguousandtrickysituationlikeCaseStudy3,articulate your poistion, take a stance, be frank with media. Some tips for authenticcommunication:
o Presentfactsinavividstory-tellingwaybyusingimages,factsheet,infographics o Statevaluesthroughappealingtopeople’semotionandbelief.
Proactiveissuemanagement
It is impossible to predict when and what fake news could surface to threaten yourorganisation,butareliablestrategythattakesthe initiativetomanage issuesproactively isimportant. That entails constantlymonitoring socialmedia, checking hash tags, and doingsearchestoseewhatisbeingsaidaboutyourorganisation.Managersneedstonotonlyknow“things”–whatishappeningandwhatcouldgowrong,butalsotoobserve“people”–howpublics perceive and feel. For example, if BPI had activelymanaged the issue reported bymedia, itmightnothaveendedupwithanendless lawsuit.Twoforward-thinkingstepsforreference:
o Warnconsumersaboutorganisationalissuesthatmightbepickedupasfakenews o Preparecounter-argumentsexplainingthecommonflawsinthefakenews(e.g.,fact-
myth,oversimplification,jumpingtoconclusions).
InvestmoretodeveloppublicrelationsliteracyEventually, itallcomesdowntomoneyifyouwanttomakethingshappen.Towinthewarover fake news, organisations need to invest inmanagers and employees so they developpublicrelationsliteracy,inparalleltomedialiteracy(Holladay&Coombs,2013).Theformerequipsyouwiththeknowledgeandskillstoarticulateyourpositionandprotectyourselffromfakenews,whereasthelatterhelpsyoutospotanddiscernfakenewsinmedia.WithahighlevelofPRliteracy,youandyouroganisationwillbecomecriticalconsumersofPRwithafullunderstandingofthegoodandbad,andtheopportunitiesinthepracticeofpublicrelations,andapplyitproperlyandefficiently. ClosingremarksInconclusion,toparaphraseCharlesDickens,the“post-truth”eracouldbethebestoftimesandtheworstoftimes.Butitistheonlytimewe’vegottomakeapositivedifferencetoourbusinessesandsocieties.
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ReferencesDerian,J.D.(2017,May30).Trumpdemandsapost-post-truthresponse.TheConversation.Retrievedfromhttps://theconversation.com/trump-demands-a-post-post-truth-response-77563 Holladay,S.&Coombs,T. (2013).Public relations literacy:Developingcriticalconsumersofpublicrelations.PublicRelationsInquiry2(2),125–146Mackey,T.P.,&Jacobson,T.(2016,December6).Howcanwelearntorejectfakenewsinthedigitalworld?TheConversation.Retrievedfromhttps://theconversation.com/how-can-we-learn-to-reject-fake-news-in-the-digital-world-69706Madison,E.(2017,June16).Howajournalismclassisteachingmiddleschoolerstofightfakenews.TheConversation.Retrievedfromhttps://theconversation.com/how-a-journalism-class-is-teaching-middle-schoolers-to-fight-fake-news-75043Snodgrass,L.(2017,January11).Howsocialmediaandhumannaturehavespawnedhoaxesandhate-mongering.TheConversation.Retrievedfromhttps://theconversation.com/how-social-media-and-human-nature-have-spawned-hoaxes-and-hate-mongering-70929Stromer-Galley,J.(2016,December2).ThreewaysFacebookcouldreducefakenewswithoutresortingtocensorship.TheConversation.Retrievedfromhttps://theconversation.com/three-ways-facebook-could-reduce-fake-news-without-resorting-to-censorship-69033
