Written by Marcela Balart

Whether you’re reading your news on socials or the world wide web, you don’t have scroll far to get the latest on the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election. 

With just under two weeks until the 47th President of the United States is elected, the media coverage, or circus, is reaching fever pitch.  

All eyes are intensely following and interrogating every word and action from the two presidential candidates to anticipate the likely outcome of the election.  

From conspiracy theories to Elon Musk’s $1 million giveaway for voters, it seems nothing is off limits in this game of politics. More disturbing is the evidence of the deterioration in the 4th estate that the media represents and the democratic process.

Experts say the proliferation of social media platforms combined with the explosion of AI has led to an increase in fake content, including the likes of deep fake videos, comments from fake accounts and, of course, fake news. The blurring between what is fact or fiction, makes it difficult to know what to believe.  

Understanding the terminology 

• Mis-information is false or misleading information that is spread either intentionally or unintentionally. It can be spread through social media, news outlets, or word of mouth and is often created to generate clicks, likes, or views to promote a particular agenda or ideology. 

• Dis-information is similar to misinformation, but is spread with the intent to deceive. Disinformation can be spread by governments, political campaigns, or individuals with a specific agenda and is often used to sow discord, influence elections, or discredit individuals or organisations.  

Australia is no stranger to these tactics. Both of these were prominent during last year’s Voice to Parliament campaign to undermine the referendum. So much so, that the Australian Electoral Commission introduced a register to keep voters aware and informed. One year on, the extent of mis- and disinformation in the final result is still being debated.  

• Mal-information is true information that is spread with the intent to cause reputational damage. It can be used to shame or embarrass, or to spread fear or panic. Just last month, we highlighted a recent example of this by conservative lobby group, Advance Australia.  

• Sane-washing is the latest tactic doing the rounds in the media. It relates to attempts to “downplay” or rationalise the behaviours of radical leaders in positions of power.  While not a new term, it has emerged in the context of the U.S. Presidential race – specifically around media coverage of Donald Trump. 

Navigating the seas of distrust 

Brands aren’t immune to impacts of fake news. After all, a brand’s reputation lives and dies based on the perceptions of its stakeholders, which they form on the information available to them. Now, more than ever, brands and communicators need to be aware of these tactics and how they can distort the truth.  

It can be difficult to identify the different types of mis- and disinformation, let alone prevent and tackle the spread of mis- and disinformation. What does the response look like when mis- and disinformation affects your organisation’s ability to do its job or its reputation, or represents a threat to the general public? What is the likely flow-on effect? 

Not all mis- and disinformation has to be responded to. In many circumstances, public opinion will self-correct. Any public response to false or misleading information that you do decide to make should represent the truth.

If you decide to act, there are many options at your disposal. Read about these options in Part Two of our Fact or Fake News story in our next edition of IMPACT Insights. 

Do you need support addressing mis- or disinformation about your business? Do you have a crisis plan in place? To discuss how IMPACT can help, contact Nicole at nicole@impactagency.com.au.