CommCore CEO Andrew Gilman and SVP Nick Peters were quoted in an article in PR Daily “6 ways to deal with smears on the internet,” about the importance of combating fake news and how building strong relationships with reporters and media are your best tools to correct wrong information published.
Nick: Start before a crisis hits. With traditional news media outlets, build and maintain relationships with key journalists who cover your industry or organization.
Usually, they reach out to sources they know and trust for comment before publishing a story that might be damaging, he says. That gives you the opportunity to state your case, or maybe even get the story killed. “If it appears nonetheless without your opportunity to comment, depending on its nature, you can try and get the reporter to do a follow-up with your view,” he says.
“Otherwise try and get an op-ed placed to rebut the news item if it is an important enough and current issue,” Peters adds. “A letter to the editor is less visible, but does show up in searches.”
A simple correction is usually buried and not very helpful, but it can prevent future reporters from repeating the error when they check previous stories on a subject.
Andrew: Suggests a multifaceted plan of attack, both before a story runs and afterward:
- Usually it’s better to engage the reporter earlier than later.
- If a reporter calls, ask what the story is about and its angle. “You don’t often get that information, but it’s important to ask.”
- Provide facts and data that can change the article.
- Select and prepare a spokesperson and supporting information.
- Try to figure out who else the reporter is calling.
- Monitor mentions of the article, and decide how to respond.