The Problem With Fake News
Posted: Friday 23 May, 2008
Pete Goold
There's a great story on mashable today on the subject of 'fake news' as the result of a case in the last week where an unscrupulous SEO marketeer created a sensationalist story and posted it on a client's website. The resulting article then acted as linkbait, effectively generating 1,500+ inbound links in a matter of days.
This raises an interesting ethical question from a PR perspective.
OK, so this is clearly an extreme example as the article contained no facts whatsoever - but how does one define 'real' from 'fake' news in the world of Public Relations? Surely the term 'fake news' is a misnomer given that the process of reporting 'news' is wholly subjective and based on any commentator's belief that their audience will be interested? Moreover, does the fact that we're writing about this story legitimise it as a news item in itself?
Surely any press release is designed to package information in such a way that its impact and appeal are maximised to the intended audience? Otherwise, why engage in the business of reputation management in the first place?
