Public Relations Response to Social Media Misinformation
Organizations and governmental agencies should have a crisis communication plan in place, to be ready for any unforeseen emergency, be it reputational or physical danger. Having an established protocol, that all communications personnel have been familiarized with, saves valuable time by not delaying the transmission of a public response. Disseminating messages on behalf of first responders is imperative as it serves to protect public health by directing citizens in protective measures, such as sheltering in place. In times of crisis, people look to authority figures for leadership and reassurance. This is why credibility, trust, and timely communication are so essential to maintaining positive relationships with the public. Without such guidance, civilians will seek direction, and both reputable and unreputable sources will seek to fill the informational vacuum.
Public relations efforts now have to adapt to an era replete with social media livestreaming, citizen journalism, and misinformation. This means that a formal response needs to be given within minutes rather than the hours of yesteryear. Media monitoring tools should be utilized to track pertinent keywords in order to quickly discover any circulating misinformation. Public relations practitioners need to immediately combat rumormongering with truthful, and clearly presented statements, to assure key publics that the crisis is being well-managed. News releases should be sent out to give accurate information to traditional media, so that they may amplify official messaging to wider audiences. Press conferences should be convened early, and repeated whenever more information is uncovered, to transparently convey the veracity of the situation. Before investigations reach disclosable conclusions, subject matter experts may be retained to reduce uncertainty by engaging the public with what is known and can be ethically revealed in such moments. Redirecting public narratives away from private health information protects involved individuals, their loved ones, and the organizations from future lawsuits. The mere presence of authority figures delivering carefully constructed statements in a timely manner engenders trust among alarmed public audiences.
The same social media platforms that became internet echo chambers for fear, panic, anger, and misinformation may be harnessed as course corrections for the dominant narratives. Releasing solid information directly to the public within seconds can shut down salacious threads. Written announcements with photographs or video clips may be released in addition to easily digestible visual information in the form of charts, graphs, and infographics. This type of information is readily shared by social media users to create a snowball effect among their followers with commentary and reposting. Engaging with the public using their preferred channels of communication imparts the trust that comes from reassuring the community with timely and responsive updates that demonstrate compassion and accountability.
© Leigh N. Eldred 2025
References
Hapney, Jr., T. L., & Lovins, J. (n.d.). Public Relations Case Studies: Successes & Failures—Business, Nonprofit, Government, Education, Health Care. Stukent. January 23, 2025, https://my.stukent.com/student
