In a recent article in PR Daily by John Pelle, manager of external affairs and communications for AbleTo, a national provider of outcomes-based mental health care, Pelle concludes that “corporate communicators are to blame for the fake news epidemic.” But, he said, corporate communicators also can help fix the problem, or else it may be the end of the PR profession.
He argues that fake news started with the introduction of the advertorial, defined as “a newspaper or magazine advertisement giving information about a product in the style of an editorial or objective journalistic article.” Even in this dictionary definition (note: “in the style of an editorial or objective journalistic article”), it is quite evident how advertorials muddied the waters when it comes to distinguishing actual, fact-based news from fake news. These advertorials are generated by marketing and PR professionals, i.e., corporate communicators.
This muddying of the waters continues today with the surge in sponsored content generated by corporate communicators for local, national and international media outlets. It is further fueled by PR-generated “creative storytelling.”
Yet, according to statistics, sponsored content is selling. Research by DigitalRelevance shows that in 2015, “25 percent more consumers looked at sponsored articles than display ad units and native ads have been found to produce 18 percent higher lift in purchase intent and 9 percent higher lift for brand affinity than banner ads.”
Further, a recent survey by Contently found that most people don’t distinguish between sponsored content and editorial.
Good luck deciphering fake news from real news, Pelle comments. The situation is compounded, he said, when real news outlets realize they inherently compete with sources of fake news (and sponsored content), and they must, therefore, sensationalize beyond “acceptable limits.”
With all of these elements in play, PR professionals are losing any incentive to “earn” media coverage when the majority of coverage is either bought or fake…thus, perpetuating the fake news epidemic.
Enter PR professionals’ opportunity to reverse this downward spiral. Pelle supports the notion that “as content creators, we have a role in strengthening the critical thinking muscles of the American people. If we can muster the courage to stand against the rampant proliferation of sponsored content, and return to truly earned media, we can make headway against fake news.”
One potential element to this movement to eliminate fake news, he said, is authenticity. Even maintaining a strict focus on what “sells,” authenticity does sell in today’s world because this key ingredient matters to people. Some 87 percent of global consumers recently surveyed said it’s important for brands to “act with integrity at all times.” With that, corporate communicators are urged to use authenticity liberally in messaging.
Hopefully we can all agree that the widespread epidemic of fake news is detrimental and must be eliminated so that each of us can make better, more informed decisions based on real facts. As PR professionals, we at Rountree Group are committed to being a part of the solution. Hope you will join us in our effort.