Eight Times Social Media Destroyed Public Trust

Do you believe every news story you come across on social media? With fabricated videos and accounts floating around social platforms, it can be extremely easy for misinformation to spread. 

A study conducted by Oxford’s Reuters Institute reports that an estimated 88% of misinformation related to the coronavirus is found on social media. In contrast, only 8% is found on news platforms.

Now that the world is going through a major crisis with the ongoing pandemic and police brutality against black people, consumers need credible platforms for news and entertainment. But publishers can no longer depend on social media to build up an audience around trustworthy content. Not when public opinion can be distorted so effortlessly across social platforms.

To gain a better understanding into how skeptical consumers already are of social media, read on to examine eight times social channels betrayed public trust.

1. When Facebook marked trustworthy COVID-19 information as spam

As a media company, you’re probably familiar with the many algorithm changes social media uses to decide what content gets prioritized and what gets hidden. No one, however, was prepared for Facebook to label important information on the coronavirus as spam and prevent consumers from seeing it. 

Although the issue was allegedly caused by a bug, the damage was already done — social media users who depend on Facebook for news weren’t immediately informed of critical updates.

2. When fake COVID-19 cures were spread

It seems silly to even think that garlic, vitamins, sesame oil or drinking a lot of water would be able to wipe out a deadly virus. But after these were falsely touted as miracle cures for COVID-19 by fake World Health Organization and national health ministry accounts on Twitter, misinformation spread rapidly. 

The public has now directly witnessed that even the most senseless suggestions can seem believable on social media.

3. When conspiracy theories over George Floyd’s death were allowed

Millions saw the video of George Floyd being murdered by a policeman on credible news sites. And yet, conspiracy theorists continue to leverage social media as their primary space to preach about why they believe George Floyd never actually died. 

Even YouTube has been used to spread fake videos skewing the cruel reality of George Floyd’s death.

4. When Twitter let police start rumors about protesters

Unlike news outlets, Twitter has an extremely limited ability to dig deeper into claims to see if they’re true or false. Which is why the social platform has become home to police officers who are manipulating the public’s image of the Black Lives Matter protests. 

In one occurrence, an official police account posted about riot weapons found in a bus.

This “riot equipment” turned out to be harmless everyday tools used by street performers.

5. When Facebook failed to delete a viral conspiracy video

A video claiming that vaccines weaken immune systems and have made people vulnerable to the pandemic was only demoted by Facebook, not deleted. Now, some uploads of the video have gained a whopping eight million views, and are being used by anti-vaxxers as well as conspiracy theorists to spread their beliefs.

6. When fake, believable wildlife stories went viral

If you were on social media at all during the early stages of the pandemic, you probably read about how wildlife was thriving due to the lockdowns.


Well, that was fake news.

This is just one of many examples that are pushing consumers to realize they can be tricked by even the most heartwarming stories on social media.

7. When Facebook had the Cambridge Analytica scandal

Back in 2018, the public found out that Facebook leaked private user information to a company that used it to send out targeted political ads. Facebook users have been skeptical of the tech giant ever since.

8. When derogatory and untrue information skewed public opinion

We all know that it’s highly offensive to call COVID-19 the “Chinese virus,” which facilitates harmful stereotypes and perceptions towards Asian people. Unfortunately, this derogatory phrase has become commonplace on Twitter. Even Donald Trump’s tweet that reinforces this prejudice has yet to be removed by the social media giant.

Little by little, social media platforms are chipping away at the public’s trust. Any news content posted on these channels now faces skepticism and uncertainty from consumers simply by association. So how can you maintain your reputation as a trustworthy brand in an untrustworthy space? 

To establish close connections with consumers as a resource that people can trust, media companies must start enhancing the power of their digital properties — outside the realm of social media. After all, the last thing anyone wants is for their content to get lost in the sea of misinformation.

New Data Showcases the Public’s Appetite for Online Engagement

At this time, media companies are facing some of the most pressing challenges they’ve encountered so far: shrinking advertising dollars, a strain on resources, endless misinformation and a shift to remote work. Brands are slowly realizing that the only way to survive in this climate and keep individuals informed with trusted information is to build highly engaged communities of consumers.

So here’s the big question: How much does the public genuinely want to engage with media brands… especially during a pandemic? 

Viafoura’s data experts combed through millions of engagement data points based on the performance of our solutions across client platforms. And the results were jaw-dropping: the desire for audience engagement solutions online has never been as prominent as it is now. 

We’ve summarized the main takeaways from our report below to help you make sense of your consumers and how you can build a loyal community. 

 

Consumers’ Interest to Engage Online Has Grown by 53%

According to our data, the number of unique users interacting with engagement tools grew by 53% in March compared to February. This means that being able to interact on digital media properties is becoming more important to consumers during the pandemic. 

After surveying over 2,500 people, Unruly, a video advertising platform, confirmed that individuals are in fact craving more engagement through content, brands and ads. 

“The pandemic has resulted in rapid, unprecedented changes in consumer behaviors and their preferences,” explains Unruly’s VP of Insight Terence Scroope.

Scroope goes on to state that brands must now refocus their priorities “to maintain and grow connections with consumers, provide support and minimize disruption to performance.”

By satisfying the need for entertainment and social interaction, media companies have the power to support the public and build loyal communities through engagement tools.

 

Conversation Readers Have Increased by 50%

Some media organizations may find the endless selection of audience engagement solutions overwhelming. But with a growing number of people seeking out and reading conversations on media sites and apps, the value of conversation-based engagement tools is rising. 

This growing interest in online conversations shouldn’t come as a surprise though. As physical distancing standards leave people socially disconnected, major global organizations like the CDC are encouraging individuals to forge meaningful connections with one another in other ways.

Consumers are now turning to media organizations with conversation-based engagement tools (such as moderated commenting, live blog or chat tools) to feed their desire for human connection. And since comment readers represent the most active and valuable portion of your digital community, everybody wins. 

 

Building Interest Around Your Content

Engagement tools — such as content recommendation and conversation widgets — increased our clients’ page views by 24% between January 2020 and the end of March.

In other words, engagement tools can help to amplify interest in content. This is because offering consumers the opportunity to interact with brands encourages them to spend more time engaging with content.

“As the dust settles at the end of this period, people will remember how [organizations] have responded and that is the challenge,” writes Steve Impey, a SportsPro journalist. “How do you drive value in your community in this particular situation?” 

Media companies without engagement tools may miss the opportunity to enhance their content and add value to the overall consumer experience. 

 

How Engagement Tools are Being Leveraged During the Pandemic

To activate their communities, news and lifestyle publishers alike are working to improve the consumer experience through engagement tools.

While some publishers are running online chats and conversations alongside live-streamed shows or old sports games, others are relying on instant blogging tools for the majority of their COVID-19 news coverage

Media companies are also using discussion-based audience engagement solutions to run online webinars and events. The Financial Times, for instance, hosted an interactive webinar with thousands of people who took part in live polls and Q&As.

At the end of the day, engagement tools are being used as a way to bring people together even though they’re physically apart. 

Publishers are no longer just content distributors; they’re facilitators of social connections in an incredibly isolating and challenging crisis. By providing audience members with engagement tools online, media companies can make social isolation a little more tolerable for both consumers and brands.

Media Buyers are Blacklisting Coronavirus Content, and It’s Damaging the News Industry

Calling all fellow marketers: blacklisting coronavirus content for your advertisements is harmful to your business, your communities and the entire news industry. 

“News organizations are working tirelessly to provide reliable and trustworthy information to their communities; a life-saving service at this unprecedented time,” states David Chavern, CEO of News Media Alliance. “Keyword blocking serves to punish publishers for this very same coverage, with potentially catastrophic effects.”

One of these catastrophic effects is already taking form. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported a recent drop in online ad revenue for publishers by a whopping 33 percent.

If we stand by and continue to block keywords, industry experts are concerned that the future of news will be a grim one and unfortunately, your organization and community won’t walk out unscathed. 

 

The Effect on News Organizations

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen that media organizations are suffering as advertising dollars grind to a halt. There have been hundreds of staff layoffs, significant salary cuts and hiring freezes across the entire news industry.

The reality is that, without the help of advertisers, publishers invest in coronavirus news at their own expense to keep their communities informed. 

But this type of business model isn’t sustainable, and will cause the quality and efficiency of journalism to suffer in the long run. 

“In the absence of your ad dollars, news organizations are losing journalistic resources,” says Dan Seaman, VP of product at Viafoura. “These organizations can’t step up and meet the demand for information if they’re unsupported.”

 

Protecting Consumers

In countries where governments can’t be trusted for reliable information, the survival of news companies is directly connected to the public’s well-being.

The Toronto Star’s CEO, John Boynton, turned to LinkedIn to send this message to advertisers earlier this month: 

“I also ask that you have staff speak to your ad tech supplier and have them stop “blacklisting” sites covering this COVID-19 crisis. It is very ironic/harmful that at a time when we need real journalism for safety purpose and we need to avoid sites that still carry fake news, that the advertising tech companies actually block sites that carry the facts.”

Information can save lives. And as the speed in which newsrooms provide fact-checked, critical information declines, marketers must act now if they hope to protect their communities. 

“It’s the support of businesses like yours that helps us continue to provide clear, accurate and trusted information to millions of readers through responsible journalism,” Boynton adds. 

 

The State of Advertiser Businesses

Based on data from previous recessions, Brand Consultant Mark Ritson describes on Marketing Week how companies that increased their advertising budgets during challenging economic times thrived both during and after a recession. In contrast, those who reduced ad spend during these times underperformed for up to three years following a recession.

Ritson also explains that marketers who keep injecting their ad budgets into campaigns right now will reap the rewards as competitors reduce or stop advertising altogether.

“Rather than pulling your budget and putting reputable brands out of business, you have an opportunity to get your brand in front of people and show solidarity and support to those who are living through this crisis,” Seaman stresses.

Plus, if you fail to support trusted news partners now, there may not be many left to run ads with in the future. 

 

The Solution

There’s a massive captive audience right now on news platforms. Marketers can use this to their advantage by adjusting their existing campaigns so they make sense in the context of coronavirus news. 

Ritson even suggests that one of the “strongest plays in advertising” is to actually increase your ad spend in this type of climate to help build your brand up. 

“If you are a brand with access to an advertising budget, you have a moral obligation to spend that budget on reputable news sources covering the coronavirus topic,” states Seaman. And the industry should be aware of which companies are punishing news organizations through their ad dollars.”

At the end of the day, we as marketers are largely accountable for the health of the news industry. So make a simple change to your business strategy that will keep newsrooms running and save the lives of countless people.

Here’s What Media Companies Are Doing to Deal With COVID-19 Information Overload

With COVID-19 disrupting the world, the demand for news has never been greater. Newsrooms are being pushed to their limits as they test the most time-saving yet effective methods to sift through an infinite amount of coronavirus information, craft story after story and keep their teams safe. 

According to Therese Bottomly, the editor of a U.S.-based local paper, the “coronavirus will strain even the largest newsrooms as news breaks continuously and into the nights and weekends.”

So what could be a better way to ease the enormous pressures on your media company than by understanding how other companies are maneuvering through this infodemic?

Read on to discover useful ways you can prevent your newsroom staff from burning out while keeping up with the demand for top-quality news.

 

Moving Staff to Cover the Coronavirus

It’s no surprise that this health crisis has encouraged consumers to rely on trustworthy news companies for credible coronavirus information. As a result, traffic to news platforms has been soaring over the past few weeks. 

Some media companies are meeting this high demand for news by shifting the focus of all content creators towards the pandemic. 

For example, The Seattle Times is leveraging almost all 58 of its reporters — who typically focus on different verticals — to prioritize covering COVID-19 in some way or form. 

Even entertainment-focused brands like Bustle, People.com and BuzzFeed are incorporating coronavirus content across its verticals. 

By encouraging more staff to focus on coronavirus coverage, your newsroom can keep your community informed without burning out.

 

Promoting Content Across News Platforms 

Before the pandemic hit, it was typically every media company for themselves in the endless pursuit of higher revenue. But priorities have since changed. 

Now, companies are more focused on keeping their newsrooms functional while maintaining an informed and safe audience… even if that means collaborating with competitors.

To provide readers with relevant content and prevent editorial teams from being overworked, different media organizations in the U.S. have started repromoting each other’s articles.

“The collaboration will allow newsrooms to pick up good information from other sources, so they will not need to re-report the same story,” Bottomly explains. “We can cover more angles this way.

 

Simplifying News Updates

It became clear early on that newsrooms couldn’t keep up with the constant flow of coronavirus information by relying solely on traditional articles. 

“By the time [coronavirus] stories are written, edited and published, they are often already out of date,” writes a reporter from the Guardian,  Matthew Weaver

For this reason, some media companies are turning to live blogging tools, which can allow journalists to post instant updates directly to a single place. 

By reducing the need to create full-blown articles for each update, newsrooms can cut down their workloads. Plus, live blogs give audience members a constant flow of relevant information they can trust. 

“Only by following events in real time can you satisfy readers’ desire for up-to-date news about Covid-19,” Weaver adds.

 

Navigating Misinformation 

As media organizations strain to provide audiences with a constant feed of news, they’re also busy sifting through a sea of misinformation. From anti-vaxxers to misinformed celebrities and politicians, picking apart fact from fiction is quickly becoming a priority for news companies.

Laura Helmuth, a health and science editor at the Washington Post, published a useful tipsheet for newsrooms to avoid spreading misinformation on COVID-19. Her guide highlights that while newsrooms should effectively pump out content, it’s important to do so by protecting the overall quality of news. 

In fact, one of Helmuth’s tips encourages media companies to avoid creating content that identifies misinformation unless it’s already prominent to the public. As stated by Helmuth, “repetition makes misinformation feel more true.”

Many media companies also prevent the spread of misinformation by using credible sources within the health industry. 

Lots of misinformation is circulating about coronavirus, and this problem will get worse as the outbreak does,” says Helmuth. “Look to infectious-disease and public-health experts for solid information, and be on alert for people trying to sell themselves as experts when they aren’t.”

Coronavirus-related news certainly won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Thankfully, you now have all the knowledge you need to help your newsroom and audience survive this explosion of information.

Five Breaking News Tactics to Help You With Your Coronavirus Coverage

The quick spread of the coronavirus is triggering panic all around the world. But by battling related misinformation and keeping the public informed, digital media is currently the one thing that can help ease this widespread fear.

Although most news media companies are covering the COVID-19 outbreak in some way or form, not all companies are positioning themselves as trustworthy sources for consumers.

In fact, the World Health Organization recently labeled the coronavirus as an ‘infodemic,’ which it defines as “an overabundance of information some accurate and some not that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.”

To help you become a trusted resource during this crisis, we’ve laid out some of the most effective ways to relay breaking news on the virus to the public. 

 

Test out Live Blogging

Through live blogs, media companies can offer consumers a single place to gather accurate information on COVID-19.

Take the National Post, for example, which ran a live blog when the coronavirus first began taking root in North America. Minute-to-minute updates related to the virus were posted on one page so individuals could access the latest details effortlessly.

Implementing live blogs for your breaking news is a powerful way to build trust with your audience, and stop them from going elsewhere for information. This can help prevent consumers from believing misinformation on social media or through news aggregators.

 

Benefit From Push Notifications

With government policies seeming to be more fragile now than ever before, people want to know what’s happening around the world as new information comes out. 

Push notifications allow media companies to ease this hunger for instant updates. Plus, they can eliminate your dependency on third-party platforms to deliver your content to readers.

And with push notifications generating click-through rates of up to nearly 28%, consumers can rest easy knowing they’re getting the latest and most reliable updates as they’re available.

 

Expand News Coverage on Streaming Platforms

The pandemic is changing the world as we know it, including the way people want to consume news. 

According to Christy Tanner, EVP and general manager of digital news at CBS, “what we have seen people want is the most up to date information about whether the virus is impacting their community and what they can do to protect themselves and prevent transmission.” 

To meet this demand for more information, news organizations like CBS and ABC have been using their video-streaming platforms to offer additional in-depth coverage, both live and on demand.

“Not only is there a regular outpouring of information, but people have struggled to ascertain what information is accurate,” writes Senior Reporter Tim Peterson at Digiday. “And that is why news media companies’ streaming services have become vital outlets.”

 

Host Ask Me Anythings

With so much uncertainty spreading like wildfire across the globe, hosting Ask Me Anythings (AMAs) can be an effective way to deliver trustworthy information to consumers. 

Consider inviting health professionals and political representatives to address audience concerns in real time on your owned and operated properties. This can engage consumers, provide accurate answers to their concerns, and solidify your reputation as a reliable news media company. 

Even ABC News recently hosted a live stream where audience members could ask their questions to the company’s health correspondent.

 

Involve Your Audience

One of the easiest ways to prioritize the needs and interests of your audience is by involving them directly in the content you produce. 

At ProPublica, a non-profit news company that relies on crowdsourced information to fuel their journalism, “the investigative newsroom has been using… online callouts and surveys to solicit tips, find sources, and identify affected communities since it launched in 2008.”

It’s worth following suit by creating content based on health tips and personal stories submitted by the public. As you engage consumers through questionnaires and idea callouts which can be used to produce content that other audience members may find relatable and interesting — you can build up their loyalty towards your brand. 

During this crisis, look beyond your normal breaking news strategies to connect with audience members and provide them with relief. What could be more satisfying to your business than that?

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