Content Creation in a Post-Truth Era: Navigating the Challenges of Misinformation and Authenticity

Though many of us thoroughly enjoy and benefit from the conveniences provided by the technological developments we’ve witnessed in our modern era, the information age is fraught with its own unique brand of complications.

Today, the average person with access to a basic computer and ethernet or even a budget-friendly smartphone can tap into the sum total of publicly available human knowledge.

Like characters in “The Jetsons,” we can even video conference with friends, family, and colleagues either nearby or on the opposite side of the globe with the push of just a few virtual buttons. But these electronic wonders arrived in our lives with a hidden cost unpayable in dollars: the veracity of the information they convey.

In today’s digital landscape, where facts, rumors, and even maliciously placed falsehoods can spread at the speed of light, individuals and companies alike face a sizeable responsibility: ensuring the content they create is not only engaging but also authentic.

Now that the rise of misinformation, fake news, and biased narratives has made authenticity a critical concern, how can creators navigate these challenges and maintain credibility?

Know What You’re Up Against

While online, the average content creator likely considers themself more of a peaceful civilian than a soldier on a mission, but an unfortunate side effect of the highly politicized era we’re living through is that the internet has turned into a warzone with many fronts.

If you are at all concerned with preventing your published content from generating any negative backlash, those in the know would advise you to engage with the internet according to its own terms, at least for the foreseeable future.

In the U.S. and around the world, warring ideological factions are relentlessly at odds with one another, hyper-vigilant, and perpetually online.

While it may seem that individuals and special interest groups are more sensitive to a wider range of issues than ever before, the numerous social media outlets available today have also expanded their visibility and reach.

As a result, content even gently referencing almost any nuanced subject—from sex to gender to race, class, ethnicity, criminal justice, politics, or the economy—has the potential of going mega-viral in the wrong direction if you’re not careful.

The societal upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that even the traditionally hard-nosed realm of science doesn’t seem to offer as firm a footing as it once did.

Today, credible authorities engaged in various scientific and medical debates publicly and passionately claim their opponents are dead wrong about one thing or another, and it’s getting harder and harder for the layperson to decide with whom to side or whom to trust.

Whether you’re covering topics as predictably spicy as state-mandated experimental vaccines or as seemingly mundane as dieting tips for the middle-aged, you could unintentionally kick over a metaphorical hornet’s nest, sending a swarm of idealogues on a mission to attack your company’s reputation, angrily buzzing all over social media along the way.

Whether you intend to publish just a single work or numerous content campaigns that you hope will cast off a few sparks and grab some attention, it’s best to make sure they don’t ignite a firestorm that burns down your company’s Google reviews or Yelp profile in the process.

Your content is your credibility.

If the information backing up the content you’re putting out in writing, on video, or in any other format didn’t originate from reputable sources, your critics will pounce all over it.

Before suiting up to defend your content in this fight against falsehoods, it’s important to first gain situational awareness of the different types of informational land mines that exist out there on the digital battlefield.

The Real Scoop on Fake News

Flat-out hoaxes are as old as language itself and sensationalism in journalism evolved right alongside the newspaper, but that’s not exactly what’s meant by “fake news.”

Though it sure sounds like it should, the term also doesn’t refer to the obviously fabricated stories of alien babies and human-animal hybrids splashed across the front pages of the various tabloids for sale in the supermarket checkout aisle.

Fake news generally refers to stories that incorporate one or more of the following types of informational traps that can sneak past you and poison your content if you fail to remain diligent when researching a topic:

Misinformation

Misinformation refers to unintentional errors introduced by the writer of a particular piece that the publisher might have even corrected in a later edition.

Although, by definition, misinformation spreads without malice, if you fail to carefully vet the data you’ve collected before propagating it, you’ll only add to any damage it already caused if it’s erroneous.

Disinformation

Disinformation is both false and intended to cause harm. It’s perhaps the most in-your-face brand of fake news that one might stumble across when preparing to produce content on a topic. Those who distribute disinformation intentionally usually do so to channel money their way through false claims or to negatively influence the public’s opinion of a competitor.

Disinformation regarding a subject is often crafted to be close enough to the truth so that it’s believable but intriguing enough to ensure that it spreads.

If you want your content to avoid the appearance of alignment with those who would profit from a certain instance of disinformation, it’s important to recognize disinformation when you encounter it and filter it from your sources.

Malinformation

Malinformation is perhaps even more devious than disinformation in that it is also deployed to cause harm or chaos in general, but it takes verifiable facts and presents them in an unfair light or without essential context.

Common examples of malinformation in popular media include deceptively edited videos of politicians or celebrities saying or doing something that most would consider offensive. Much of the time these offenses are reduced to non-issues when the rest of the video is revealed.

Malinformation also arises in reporting when the context is purposefully withheld to further an agenda.

For example, when, say, it is reported that an already polarizing public figure injured a stray dog and brought it to the vet, his detractors become incensed and use this verifiable fact to denounce him. However, if it were reported that said public figure accidentally injured the stray while rescuing it from a burning building at great personal risk, the act would be received in quite a different light.

In recent years, fake news in all its forms, especially regarding U.S. border security, election interference, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, became so prevalent that the United States Department of Homeland Security established the Disinformation Governance Board in April 2022 to combat it.

The board was disbanded amidst public backlash only four months later for numerous reasons, including constitutional issues, and, ironically, its failure to address accusations of disinformation during its rollout.

Despite its short tenure, the Disinformation Governance Board serves as a testament to just how much of a problem fake news has become for more than just content creators.

When setting out to produce valuable content for your audience, to avoid the many pitfalls along your path that are just waiting to dupe you and diminish your credibility, it’s best to arm yourself with a strategy before getting underway.

Strategies for Success in Turbulent Times

1. Verify (and multiply) your sources.

Before incorporating any information into your content, verify its source. Then, cross-check that information across multiple sources. Make sure your data point or statement of fact has been published by more than just one reputable site. If a claim appears in multiple credible places, it’s likely accurate.

If you’re borrowing a quote or an idea attributed to an individual, double-check that it has appeared in multiple publications. Conversely, even if it’s irresistibly juicy or incredibly apropos for your content, if your only source for a specific claim is a single forum post on some murky backwater of the dark web, it’s probably best to cut it from whatever you’re producing.

2. Use peer-reviewed research.

For scientific, medical, or technical content, cite peer-reviewed studies or scholarly journals. Before publication, these documents undergo rigorous scrutiny by experts, and the authors often remain anonymous during the process to make certain their content stands up on its merit alone rather than just getting a pass due to the impressive name on the byline.

3. Sniff out bias and intent.

Develop a conscientious nose for bias.

Be open with yourself. Admit to your own biases and do your best to determine those of your sources.

Biased content can distort facts. Seek diverse perspectives.

If you are producing content on some contentious issue that you are personally passionate about, take a step back and have an honest look at the big picture.

Consider the stances of your opponents on this matter. Have respect for the facts that they have on their side and acknowledge them before explaining why your stance is better. Your audience will thank you for your sincerity and reward your fairness.

Be relentlessly critical! Question every motive behind your source material. Consider why the author would choose to highlight certain information. Are they just trying to inform their readers or viewers, or are they trying to persuade, manipulate, or even deceive them?

4. Cite authoritative sources.

Make sure the content supporting yours has a clear author or organization behind it.

Even though anonymous or pseudonymous sources are quite common, widely influential, and even well-respected in this era of social media and citizen journalism, citing them or at least solely relying on them will undoubtedly raise red flags for your audience.

Stick to content created by publicly recognized subject matter experts. Their credentials lend credibility.

5. Be careful with data and stats.

Many a journalist has gotten themselves into hot water for “cherry picking” actual data but using it to craft a story that aligns with their agenda.

Let your audience decide for themselves if they agree with you. After all, asking them for rebuttals is a surefire way to boost engagement.

6. Engage in transparency and disclosure.

Unless you’re fine with a conflict of interest coming back to bite you down the road long after your content has been published and released into the wild, be transparent upfront where it counts the most.

Disclose any affiliations or sponsorships at the start so your audience is aware of any financial interest that you might have in endorsing a particular product or service.

Honesty builds trust, and modern audiences want to trust the creators that receive their attention. And they’re okay with subjective content. They realize that everyone needs to make a living and have likely tuned into your content because they’re interested in whatever it is you’re selling.

If you truly like the company sponsoring you and really are a fan of its products or services, that will shine through for your audience, and they’ll feel informed when deciding to take you up on any offers you’re extending.

The modern consumer is also likely to believe your enthusiastic claims about how great a new product is because they’re experienced; there’s a lot of great new stuff on the market, and a lot of those claims are often true!

But today’s consumers are also very discerning and want to see the research for themselves, so be sure to share any hyperlinks or cite the sources that back up your claims.

7. Actively fact-check.

It should go without saying that you’ll want to get your facts straight before putting them out into the world, but unless you have a system in place beforehand, misinformation has a better chance of finding its way into your content.

Establish and follow a fact-checking process. Subject every last bit of content you produce to it. Consult with subject matter experts to confirm the validity of your content before it’s published.

If you’re part of a large organization regularly producing content, you may want to contract the services of an independent fact-checking organization.

If you’re on your own, there are sources you can check to confirm that you’re getting it right:

• Newsguardtech.com offers reliability ratings for news outlets to help you decide whether a source is trustworthy or not.

• Factcheck.org monitors the factual accuracy of statements made by political players in an effort to reduce deception and confusion in U.S. politics.

• Politifact.com is another site that rates the accuracy of political leaders’ statements and offers a visual “Truth-O-Meter” that ranges from True to Pants On Fire!

• Snopes.com is a fact-checking site that defines itself as “The definitive Internet reference source for researching urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.” Although many Snopes determinations have been disputed, the service does offer further insight into newsworthy controversies.

8. Establish employee and team training.

Lastly, if you are part of a team or managing a group of employees, train them in media literacy. Inspire them to critically assess the sources they research and teach them to recognize the red flags of bias in reporting.

If they learn to vet their sources properly, the work they produce will be more credible before they bring it to the table, and your organization will be able to put out quality content on a much faster timeline.

If you think your team would benefit from an outside perspective, consider a collaboration with a B2B content marketing company on your next campaign.

The Authenticity Imperative in Content Creation

In the Post-Truth Era, authenticity matters, and honesty is at a premium.

Consumers are seeking genuine connections with the brands for which they feel an affinity, and they want those brands to produce content that reflects the company’s values. It doesn’t matter if you sell glass cleaner, surfboards, or financial advice, your customers are seeking an education and a dialogue.

Sure, your customers appreciate your helpful tips, but they’re also interested in what interests you. Quite often, your concerns are theirs as well. If you’re having trouble coming up with new content marketing ideas, what’s stopping you from covering these topics for your audience?

Of course, you should share in the joy and excitement of whatever lifestyle your brand promotes, but what about embracing your vulnerabilities? Next time you see a problem on the horizon, try offering a community forum to your customer base to brainstorm ways of addressing it together.

By opening up to your customers through your content and handling matters of truth responsibly, your message will resonate with them, and you’ll deliver an authentic experience they’ve likely been yearning for.

To some extent, the era we are currently enduring is characterized by political, corporate, and institutional deceit.

Following these best practices in content marketing will make your content stand out against this otherwise disappointing landscape. To the consumer, your brand will come across as very real at a predominantly inauthentic time.

Not only will adhering to these principles contribute to a more informed and engaged society, but the practice will also up your five-star ratings and earn your company more favorable reviews.

In time, through a reaffirming loop of customer satisfaction, feedback, and gratitude, your reputation will become a rock-solid foundation of trust upon which you’ll be able to build a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with your audience.

If you’re interested in partnering with a top content marketing agency on your next content campaign, reach out for a quote today!