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‘Fake news’ is one of the top slang terms of the past year, first coined by President Trump and his supporters during the presidential campaign.
Fake news refers to news that people believe is either made up or uncorroborated, but that is presented as real news even though it lacks obvious credibility.
Fake news poses a problem for brands involved in public relations, because it has made the content they create harder to distinguish from something that isn’t true.
Here are four ways that fake news is presenting a major challenge to PR.
1. Increases Pressure To Get the Facts Right
In the past, some brands could get away without fully vetting sources of information, but that is impossible in today’s fake news environment.
PR companies must not only verify that information or content is accurate, they must also be aware that certain sources of information may damage their credibility, even if the information they provide is accurate.
Consumers are wary of any content that is driven by an ideological agenda, which places a premium on accurate content from sources that are not controversial.
2. Forces Brands To Establish Credibility
Fake news has made it more important than ever for brands to create content that conveys credibility and authority.
This means that your PR strategy must incorporate influencers within your market who have already established a high level of trust and credibility within your target market.
Influencers can help you fight the scourge of fake news, because they have spent years gaining the expertise and authority that consumers find valuable.
And they are also a trusted secondary source that shares your company’s vision, which can go a long way toward mitigating the distrust consumers feel about a lot of content they read.
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3. Forces Brands To Make Trust A Priority
Fake news has destroyed a significant amount of trust that existed between consumers and the media, as well as consumers and big brands.
In the past, people would consume content that brands created with the assumption that it was accurate and well sourced.
But the advent of fake news has made every piece of information subject to doubt, and that means brands must maintain trust every single time they create a piece of content.
One way to establish that trust is for brands to practice transparency as much as possible.
The days when companies could keep business processes close to the vest are over.
Consumers demand that brands provide transparency in all their interactions, and to survive companies will need to offer a public mea culpa when they make a mistake, or they risk the wrath of scorned consumers who aren’t afraid to badmouth companies on social media.
Remember, authenticity isn’t determined by the product or service a brand sells; it’s built by the value that brands deliver to the lives of consumers.
And when consumers believe a brand can make a difference in their daily lives, they will connect with that brand in an authentic way.
Fake News Keeps Brands Honest
Although fake news has made it more difficult for PR to be effective, it has also elevated the way game is played, and is forcing companies to adopt higher standards. And ultimately, any challenge that forces PR to raise its game, will keep brands more honest, and benefit consumers.