The Advertising and Media Association of South Africa (Amasa) has identified the impact of false content as one of the greatest threats to media credibility, both at present and in the long term.
An important strategic objective is, therefore, to equip media stakeholders across the board with the knowledge they need to identify and deal with it as effectively as possible.
The Amasa Ignite Forum, a premier monthly forum for discussion about issues of importance to the advertising and media industries, hosted a debate on 3 July at the Ster-Kinekor head office in Sandton entitled: The impact of fake content on consumers, publishers and brands.
Thought leaders in the fields of publishing, communications and brands all came together to discuss the nature of the threat; the way in which fake news can impact consumers and the public; the ways in which it can affect brand reputation; how it is evolving; and how best to manage the risk it presents.
The debate was facilitated by Wayne Bishop, the managing director of PHD Media. Panellists included Daniel Munslow founder of MCC consulting, Nkateko Mongwe a media data analyst from Vodacom, Fatima Ouanssaidi CEO of OnPoint PR, Colson Mothoagae a strategic account director from The OddNumber, Chris Louw who is head of content from Hive Digital Media and Suzanne Myburgh head of digital marketing and media at First National Bank.
According to Munslow, there has never been greater awareness around disinformation and misinformation, and this is leading organisations to revisit the way they manage content, advertising and digital marketing. “It is increasingly important to ensure all stakeholders are aware of ‘fake news’, what it means to business and society, and how to put the right risk management strategies in place,” he said.
“From a business perspective, this means a more integrated look at reputation management, and working proactively to tackle the risks around the proliferation of fake content.”
Bishop added, “As an industry, we seem to have sacrificed editorial integrity for speed. News has gone from a valuable contributor to society to a high-speed engine for clicks.
“What’s reassuring, is that we are starting to discuss the effect of fake news on the industry. As readers mature, they will respond with their attention and that is still the most powerful commodity to journalism.”
On the question of who is blame for fake news, Mongwe argued that publishers held a responsibility. “They should have better content restrictions with the application of technology.
“Maybe if they can begin educating the market about misleading information as well as how to verify if the information is valid. They need to build advertising safe environments that marketers can trust.”
Louw discussed the importance of media collaboration, “I think industry collaboration is necessary if we are to, once and for all, stop the creation and distribution of disinformation.”
He concluded by saying that more education was needed for consumers on how to spot disinformation, how to report it and the various regulatory bodies they can approach to report and stop disinformation from spreading.
Fatima Ouanssaidi argued that the role of public relations practitioners is to work hand in hand with journalists and other influencers in the media to ensure they provide accurate, well-informed and genuine information to those outlets, relevant to that publication’s audience. “In this way, we will all be able to play a small part in addressing the ‘fake news’ issue.”
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