Fake news are one of the main problems in the field of communication that have appeared along the Internet era. Besides being a threat to society, they are also hurting brands. Placing an ads in fake news or misleading informations has a strong negative impact on brand’s reputation and credibility. Most marketers point their finger at the publishers and media companies as guilty of this situation.
Brands are constantly putting a lot of effort on maintaining a good reputation and on being credible. Customers are raising their voice to give their opinion about brands, they have an incredible power. That’s why reputation and trustworthiness is so important. In this regard, a brand that advertises its products next to fake news automatically looses credibility and its reputation goes down. Customers will look at that brand with skepticism. Besides, the audience they are targeting in these cases are people who consumes fake news on a daily basis, which may not be the desired target for the brand.
Marketers think the solution to fake news is in hands of publishers and media companies
A research conducted by the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) in November 2017 shows that 8 out of 10 US marketers blame publishers and media companies for the existence of fake news and the way in which they hurt brands. Only 53% of the marketers think brands and advertisers should find a solution to this problem. However, 42% of them have admitted to be ignorant about were their ads are placed.
There are many groups of people and sectors suffering from this problem. It is not only about brands but also society, media itself and the advertising industry. Therefore, if they all together find a way to contribute to the solution, this will be found in an easier and quicker way. None of the parties implied should point the finger at the others. Cooperation is key in threats like fake news.
Because of this, society should challenge the information they consume, they should care about where it comes from, about its purpose. Readers should ask themselves whether they are looking at content coming from a valid, reliable source. Brands should be more aware on where their content is placed, even though it’s easier to rely on tools that place their ads automatically or on publishers that do that job.
Media companies are, of course, the ones with the greatest responsibility as they sometimes the channel of this low-quality fake content. However, they cannot fight the problem by themselves. It’s in hands of everyone and cooperation is the only way we can get rid of it.
Tips to detect fake news
The New Yorks Times published an article in which they examine, from the perspective of media, how to fight agains misinformation and conduct a good debunking process. They consider that using video rather than text is more effective when correcting misinformation. Moreover, presenting new information instead of just talking about the well-known fake news reinforce the posibilites of getting the attention of publics. In addition, encouraging the audience to be skeptical, as well as avoiding the repetition of arguments that support misinformation is key when debunking.
On the other hand, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) published this infographic in order to advise readers in detecting fake news.
There are so many actors trying to fight fake news. For instance, Facebook declared that misinformation was one of the most important factors to work in during 2018. What is your perspective in this regard? Share with us any new advice you may have on fighting fake news!
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