In today's digital age, where information travels at lightning speed and social media platforms dominate communication channels, disinformation, misinformation, and social media manipulation have become critical challenges for every organization. Factor in the additional risk posed by ChatGPT and other Generative AI tools, and the challenge can become existential. Bud Light, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the Pentagon Explosion – all of these have become synonymous for what happens when organizations and decision makers ignore or fail to navigate online risks. Bottom line – all of these crises are preventable. With the right insights, context, and crisis communications strategies, every organization can navigate these challenging situations.
CCOs have traditionally been responsible for managing the organization's reputation and overseeing external and internal communications. However, in recent years, with the explosion and accessibility of information online, their role has expanded to include proactive risk management in the face of disinformation and social media manipulation threatening their key assets.
As a result, communicators are the first line of defense against reputational damage and brand erosion – and are often the first to know about risks ranging from employee physical safety to short seller and stock manipulation attacks to adverse regulatory threats. Alethea commonly sees that organizations are forced to defend themselves against the following threats:
The reality is, if any of these crises occurred within your organization, it’s likely because a threat was missed, misunderstood, or ignored when it should have been made a top priority. Alethea has helped the Fortune 1000, nonprofits, and high profile executives navigate the unknowns – where threats are coming from, who is behind them, and how to mitigate their impact. Here are three ways Alethea recommends organizations start protecting themselves against social media manipulation and other online attacks:
As disinformation, misinformation, and social media manipulation continue to evolve, the role of CCOs must evolve as well. The risks associated with these phenomena extend beyond reputational damage, impacting brand equity, stakeholder trust, and even financial stability. By adopting proactive measures, such as monitoring, comprehensive risk assessment, and mitigation, CCOs can enhance organizational resilience and protect their key assets. Prioritizing risk management in the face of disinformation and social media manipulation is essential for organizations to thrive in today's digitally interconnected world.
We view disinformation, misinformation, and influence operations as a private sector issue, specifically impacting communications teams and stakeholders. Alethea's Head of Analysis Michael Robinson spoke on a panel at PRWeek's inaugural Crisis Comms conference in April on the importance of protecting against crisis events, conceptualizing business risk, and forming comprehensive risk management strategies. Check out our blog recapping Michael's panel and the event!
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