Propaganda, communication and finding the truth
Under Pressure 21 February 2025
Propaganda, communication and finding the truth
Misinformation, disinformation and malinformation have been identified as one of the biggest risks according to the World Economic Forum Global Risk Report. Alongside that interstate conflict was also identified. This leads us down a path where information will be weaponised and propaganda will rear its head.
This puts communicators under significant pressure. The ethical frameworks that are discussed and we all work to abide by are going to be scrutinised. When I provide crisis communication training, I try to raise the challenge of defining the truth. What is it? How will it change over time? Who does the truth belong to? Your truth or my truth? It is not so simple.
If you replace the word truth with facts it doesn’t get any easier. The facts will be held by certain groups - first responders, emergency services, business leaders - and we need to trust the information that is being given. From recent information from the IPSOS Trust Veracity Index and the Edelman Trust Barometer there is a significant trust deficit.
Honesty and integrity are critical now more than ever. Whatever the issue or problem you are facing this has to be at the core of the response and the communication. Every situation where information is misused or manipulated causes further damage. Propaganda is not just something that happened during world wars. A dictionary definition of propaganda is “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.” It has to be said that comments from President Trump about the Washington plane disaster and about Ukraine would definitely fit with this definition. Perhaps we are all being confronted by propaganda everyday.
Polarised societies
The world feels like it is going through a significant period of change. This was brought home in the recently published Munich Security Report 2025 that looked at multipolarisation. (Read more here.) It looked at the fractured nature of society concluding
“power is shifting toward a larger number of actors who have the ability to influence key global issues. On the other hand, the world is experiencing increasing polarization both between and within many states, which is hampering joint approaches to global crises and threats.”
It adds that 2025 will show whether there is depolarisation or the world becomes even more divided.
Improving crisis expertise
There are still a couple of places left on the first advanced crisis communication training session that Amanda has developed. The session will consider the challenges of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, artificial intelligence, audience understanding, and ensuring inclusivity. For more information email office@amandacolemancomms.co.uk
International Advisor for EMEAA
Amanda is delighted to join the Emergency Management External Affairs Association (EMEAA) as an advisor to the international committee. The association was established in 2023 by a group of professionals looking to enhance the positive impact and reputation of emergency and disaster professionals working in the area of communication and information. Find out more here.
In Brief:
Amanda has recently written an article for the Association for Project Management looking at how to manage a project’s reputation in the digital age. Read the article here.
Being able to reach communities when a crisis occurs is critical. A recent UCLA study has outlined how language barriers hindered Asian communities’ access to emergency evacuation and recovery resources during the recent wildfires in Los Angeles County. Find out more here.
The challenge of developing disaster preparedness education programmes is considered in scoping research that has recently been published. It highlights potential ways to improve the situation. Find the research here.
An article in the journal Nature looks at effective science communication at a time of crisis. It concluded that three elements had a significant impact: trust in government, consideration of diverse perspectives, and perceptions of scientific community knowledge. Read more here.
Telecoms companies need to be prepared against the impact of wildfires to ensure emergency communication is maintained. The issue is discussed in a recent article. Find out more here.
The importance of elected representatives involvement in crisis response was highlighted in an exchange at Mayo County Council after Storm Eowyn. Read more here.
Emergency managers in Florida are looking at how best to use artificial intelligence to support their work. There is a new project underway. Read more about it here.
The impact of a crisis on a leadership team is discussed in an article on the Entrepreneur website. It highlights the importance of tackling crises and not just surviving them. Read more here.
Following a bomb threat that closed a school in America crisis plans are being rewritten to improve communication. Find out more here.
A new report has been published about the progress of the Paris Resilience Group that considering crisis preparedness and resilience. Find out more here.
Diary Dates:
Amanda will be talking at the Resilient Scotland conference on 25 February in Edinburgh. Find out more here.
The CIPR South West conference on 30 April in Cheltenham will see Amanda discuss the latest crisis communication issues. Find out more about the conference here.