Why Researching Disinformation is Important
Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., President and CEO, Institute for Public Relations; Steve Cody, Chair of the IPR Board of Trustees, CEO and Founder, Peppercomm
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In 2018, the Institute for Public Relations Board of Trustees decided to investigate the impact of disinformation based on the rise of fake news and deep fake videos. In 2019, IPR published our first report focused on disinformation. We are thrilled to now publish the second annual “IPR Disinformation in Society Report.”
First, it’s essential to understand how disinformation influences society. In 2019, a study by Oxford University found evidence that organized social media manipulation campaigns have taken place in 70 countries, a 150% increase from when they started collecting data in 2017. Studies have also investigated the influence of disinformation on the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Based on an analysis of Twitter, a 2018 Knight Foundation report determined many of the accounts active in the 2016 election disinformation campaigns continue to operate, despite clear evidence of automated activity.
The 2020 U.S. presidential election will be no exception to the threat of disinformation, perpetuated by “foreign malicious actors” who want to “undermine our democratic institutions,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Disinformation will increase dramatically in intensity and frequency as the 2020 election in November draws near.
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How We Did It: Formulating a Comprehensive Stand on Thermal Coal and Oil Sands
Joe Cohen, IPR Trustee, Chief Communications Officer, Axis
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In partnership with PR Daily, "How We Did It" is a series featuring IPR Trustees discussing a success in their public relations career.
At Axis we believe that climate-risk mitigation—the risks associated with climate change—is central to both the future of our business and to the quality of life on our planet.
As a carrier that operates in the property and casualty space, we directly face the challenge of the significant increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather. We are attuned to the tremendous toll that extreme weather places on businesses, communities and the people and families who are its victims. We believe that insurers have a unique role to play in addressing the climate change crisis, and that there is a strong and clear business case to be made for addressing this issue.
Read the rest of Joe Cohen's blog to learn about the business case for addressing environmental issues.
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Coworker Relationships and Informal Communication in High-Intensity Telecommuting
Martha J. Fay, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Susan L. Kline, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
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This abstract is summarized by IPR from the original journal article published in the Journal of Applied Communication Research.
Dr. Martha Fay and Dr. Susan Kline examined how informal communication between coworkers affected their organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Colleague relationships were also measured as coworker liking.
A survey of 100 full-time employees who worked remotely at least three days per week was conducted.
Key findings include:
- Informal communication was positively related to organizational commitment but not job satisfaction.
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Coworker liking was positively related to organizational commitment and job satisfaction.
- None of the informal communication practices (complaining talk, discussion of family, socializing talk) were associated with coworker liking.
Read more to see how informal communication between coworkers affects organizational commitment and job satisfaction.
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Effects of Online Rumors on Attribution of Crisis Responsibility and Attitude Toward Organization During Crisis Uncertainty
Elmie Nekmat, Ph.D. & Dewei Kong, National University of Singapore
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Dr. Elmie Nekmat and Dewei Kong examined the influence of online rumors on attribution of organizational crisis responsibility and attitude toward the organization during a period of crisis uncertainty.
An experiment was conducted with 366 participants. Participants were separated into three groups and presented with three different types of rumors: fact-based, subjective, and no rumor.
Key findings include:
- Fact-based online rumors result in greater believability of the rumor compared to rumors with subjective claims.
- Believability of online rumors led to greater attribution of organizational responsibility.
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Attribution of organizational crisis responsibility leads to more negative attitudes toward the organization.
- Individual personal involvement with a crisis issue is positively related to attribution of organizational crisis responsibility and negatively related to attitude toward organization.
Read more to discover how online rumors influence attribution of organizational crisis responsibility and attitude toward the organization.
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Americans See Skepticism of News Media as Healthy, Say Public Trust in the Institution Can Improve
Pew Research Center
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Pew Research Center explored Americans' perceptions of the public's confidence and skepticism of the news media.
A survey of 10,300 U.S. adults was conducted from February 18 to March 2, 2020 and April 20-26, 2020.
Key findings include:
- 63% of respondents said that "ideally, it's better if the public is skeptical rather than trusting of the news media."
- 75% of respondents said "it is possible to improve the level of confidence Americans have in the news media."
- 39% of U.S. adults said they had "a fair amount" of confidence that journalists act in the best interests of the public.
- 61% of Americans expect the news they get to be accurate.
- 69% of respondents think news organizations generally try to cover up mistakes when they happen.
Read more to know Americans' perceptions of the public's confidence and skepticism of the news media.
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