In a hyperconnected and digital world, information circulates quickly and easily, but not always with truthfulness and responsibility. In this context, it is increasingly higher the dissemination of fake news –, which are contents that distort, manipulate, and/or invent facts with the aim of deceiving, confusing, or influencing public opinion.
Fake news can cause serious damage to the reputation and image of companies and organizations, affecting their credibility, trust, and market value. This can lead to the loss of customers, business partners, and investors, as well as generate legal consequences such as investigations and lawsuits, fines, administrative or criminal sanctions.
To properly face a fake news campaign, it is necessary to adopt effective and customized crisis management strategies.
Impacts of fake news on businesses
Fake news can have various purposes, such as political, economic, ideological, or personal interests, and can spread through various means, such as social networks, messaging apps, websites, or communication vehicles. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) pointed out that fake news spreads 70% faster than true news.
Companies are often targets of defamation campaigns that involve the dissemination of false information, videos, and images about their operations, products, or services. This can lead to a crisis of confidence in their operations and financial stability.
Fake news can question the quality and safety of the products or services offered, suggesting non-existent problems and generate a significant negative repercussion. It affects employee morale, community perception, and the company's reputation, having to deal with oversight by competent bodies and possible legal actions from employees or third parties.
Once disseminated, fake news can cause serious damage to the reputation and image of companies, organizations, and people, affecting their credibility, trust, and market value. This can result in the loss of customers, business partners, and investors, as well as generate legal consequences such as investigations and lawsuits, fines, administrative or criminal sanctions. Therefore, properly facing a fake news campaign requires the adoption of effective and customized crisis management strategies.
How to deal with a crisis resulting from fake news?
When a company faces a crisis resulting from fake news, it is essential to adopt a strategic and multidisciplinary approach to deal with the situation, with specialized support to establish and execute an effective response strategy.
A multidisciplinary and careful approach can involve the following pillars:
- Assess the scenario and situation
Examine the effects of the news on the company's reputation, employee morale, and public perception. Then, identify and map the internal and external stakeholders involved – such as employees, suppliers, unions, service providers, press vehicles, regulatory bodies, and the local community – to direct communication actions and legal measures more effectively. Finally, identify the sources of the news and assess the possibility of legal accountability for the disseminators.
- Develop comprehensive communication strategies
The development and execution of an internal and external communication strategy are essential to clarify the facts, debunk fake news, and restore the confidence in the company. For this, it is important to use various communication channels and tools, which may include sending internal communications with clear explanations about the situation and ongoing measures, holding in-person and/or virtual meetings with employees to provide updates, clarifications, and answer questions to ensure transparency and trust. Issuing press releases to the media and publications on the company's website also play a crucial role in clarifying the facts and fake news to the external public.
It is important to think of an official statement, using clear and accessible language to reach the public. Maintaining proactive contact with journalists and media outlets that disseminated the fake news is also essential for corrections and interviews with clarifications and official statements. The use of media and social network monitoring tools plays an important role in tracking new mentions of the news and providing a quick and effective response to new erroneous information.
- Seek legal redress and stakeholder collaboration
In some cases, it is also necessary to adopt legal measures to seek redress for moral and material damages suffered, as well as to hold criminally responsible those responsible for any crimes against honor.
By adopting a multidisciplinary and customized strategic approach to deal with a crisis arising from fake news, companies can neutralize the negative effects and restore their reputation and image, as well as their resilience and ability to face crises in the digital environment.
The experience gained in crisis management can enable the implementation of preventive and corrective measures to avoid new crisis situations, ensuring the sustainability of their businesses in an environment increasingly susceptible to false information.
This article is part of a series dedicated to crisis management, in which we explore best practices and strategies for companies in high-pressure and public exposure scenarios. For more information and assistance, contact Machado Meyer.
