Fake news or fake news accompany humanity from the moment it became aware of its existence. As a form of defense or as simple slander, lies are often used and, nowadays, thanks to technology, they spread quickly.
The speed with which fakes news are disseminated through the internet is a worrying phenomenon due to the negative consequences that they cause to companies or governments around the world.
To fight fake news, experts offer some advice. Javier Salgado, director of the company Atrevia, in the United States, suggests that companies should include fake news in their communication crisis manual so as not to improvise when they arise. With this, he suggests, an answer should be raised in a timely manner, if applicable. In addition, he explains that companies must permanently work in good relations with stakeholders and workers, who are the best defenders of business reputation.
“Not reacting to the false news and making corporate silence is an option, but not the most recommended”
It is also useful for the organization to always have verifiable information on hand, in addition to adequate response channels. To this we must add the usefulness of having spokespersons with credibility and solvency to be able to assume eventual responses or development of communication strategies.
For his part, Tanit De Pouplana, journalist and Media Specialist at Cyberclick, says that companies should publish only that information that they have been able to contrast and verify, or where they themselves are the source of the information.
“Not reacting to the false news and making corporate silence is an option, but not the most recommended”, explains De Pouplana. “This strategy is a bit of the old school. When the digital environment did not exist and news was born and died without as much viral potential as now. But now, silence can harm you even more, it can give the feeling that what the fake news spreads is true and that with your silence you ratify it. (…) It is necessary to put a stop to the false news and not fall into the juice of those who spread it and spread it, ”concludes the specialist.