It’s been long enough since Donald Trump coined the term ‘fake news’ that it almost seems part of the furniture. The idea has been normalised to the extent that it’s used by newscasters and politicians across the spectrum, and the rise of AI-generated content is only amplifying it, with fakes being increasingly difficult to spot.
When a salacious falsehood can spread more quickly than the truth, it isn’t just individuals who are vulnerable, or political opinions that can be influenced. Businesses are increasingly finding themselves vulnerable to misinformation that affects both their people and their public reputation—making it contingent on business leaders to address and mitigate this threat.
The unstoppable rise of fake news
Fake news refers to false or misleading information that is presented as legitimate. Originally used by Donald Trump to discredit reports from media outlets, the term has evolved to be used in almost any context where someone says something untrue, or when someone deems something to be untrue. Despite the fact that some ‘fake news’ isn’t actually fake, the term has entered popular parlance to describe almost anything misleading.
Sometimes, the use of fake news is a deliberate attempt to deceive people, such as presenting a quote or soundbite out of context to support a certain argument. Other times, it may be down to carelessness, as people share something that hasn’t been verified. This could affect individuals, either ideologically or because something untrue is being shared about them. However, fake news can also involve sharing false information about a business or organisation.
With the rise of generative AI, fake news has become more sophisticated, more prevalent, and more difficult to identify. Perhaps the most recent and troubling development is deepfake videos, which can mimic human speech and even background noise. Such videos can often be debunked at present, such as by noticing small discrepancies in the background or voiceover. But the likelihood is that this will improve, and many people will watch the video before this is pointed out. This is already true of AI-generated articles, press releases, or technical documents that have become widely circulated on social media.
Misinformation and organisations
Online PR has long been its own discipline, and reputational damage from social media is nothing new. Complaints can quickly snowball if not addressed properly, particularly when they come from celebrities or popular influencers. Yet fake news presents a different challenge altogether. Stories might emerge not from a mistake or poor customer experience, but from nowhere at all. Someone vindictive could attack your organisation or an individual within it using fabricated evidence.
Sometimes, this might be an online influencer simply chasing clout, like making up stories about upcoming products to make it seem like they’re in the know. Other times, however, it can be more targeted, and more malicious. Quotes could be cherry picked or misattributed to make someone look bad, while photos and videos could be generated to present a person or business in a compromising position.
Fake news spreads so effectively because it takes advantage of uncertainty, familiarity, and speed. People often share content impulsively, assuming that someone else has checked it. This is why misinformation rarely stays contained: it travels quickly, picking up commentary and emotional reactions much faster and more effectively than it can be debunked. In this sense, it’s not that much different from misleading headlines in newspapers, where a correction might later be published in the back pages. The biggest difference is just how many people can see it, and how quickly it can get out of control.
The ripple effects of fake news
Say a rumour spreads that your company is preparing for mass redundancies. This could cause employees to fear for their jobs, and start preparing to move on. Away from the business itself, this might be seen as a harbinger of a bad earnings call or failure of a project, and impact your stock price, or general public confidence in the business. Even if the leadership team had no such plans, it’s hard to put a lid on this speculation when this feels like a tangible threat.
Misinformation doesn’t always come from outside of an organisation; it can also emerge from within it. Someone with a grievance or their eyes on another person’s position might anonymously spread fake news about favouritism, misconduct, or unethical practices. Even if other employees suspect that it might be false, it seeds doubt, and can affect the atmosphere around the workplace.
The kind of toxicity this generates can seep into company culture, and make its way beyond the confines of the workplace. A workplace where fake news is created and leveraged can make people feel vulnerable to the same kinds of attacks, and influence how employees view their employer’s credibility. If staff feel they are not being protected from rumours or kept informed of the truth, it could erode their trust to the extent that they want to leave.
How to prevent fake news impacting your business
Protecting your organisation against fake news can feel like stopping water from running through your fingers. The speed and ease of creating it is such that it’s almost impossible to prevent if someone is determined to do it. What you can do, however, is to protect your employees from its effects through effective training and leadership, and position your organisation to respond effectively if it does emerge.
One means by which you can achieve this is through strengthening the behavioural foundations of your organisation. Our Behaviour and Conduct in the Workplace course is particularly valuable here, as it helps teams develop the mutual respect, professionalism and communication habits that make misinformation far less likely to take hold. This not only reduces the risk of internal misinformation gaining traction, but also equips staff with the confidence to challenge questionable claims, and seek clarification from the right channels.
Countering misinformation also means improving your own communications. Written communication is something many leaders tend to neglect in favour of the spoken word, with the sense that meetings and presentations have more value. Yet the written word has perhaps never been more important than in the internet age. Our Professional Business Writing Skills course helps you to hone these skills in writing, ensuring that internal and external communications are precise, purposeful and transparent. With stronger writing skills, you can avoid uncertainty and remove room for interpretation, giving employees and stakeholders information they can trust.
The nature of online misinformation often forces leaders to respond quickly and strategically. Analysing the situation, identifying the root cause of a rumour, and determining the best course of action all needs to happen quickly, and be executed properly. Our Problem Solving and Strategic Decision Making course can help with this, empowering you to break down complex challenges and more confidently weigh risks. The course also helps to anticipate consequences and make more balanced and timely decisions, both halting the spread of misinformation and reassuring staff.
Fake news can be incredibly disruptive to businesses, but it isn’t undefendable. Combatting it starts with acknowledging the issue, and weaknesses in your internal and external ability to respond. By fostering a respectful and transparent workplace culture, promoting clear and responsible communication, and strengthening your own strategic capabilities, your organisation will be far better placed to mitigate the effects of misinformation.
