Debunking Myths

We often counsel our clients to immediately take steps to correct misinformation and myths.

No longer do articles in obscure publications remain read by few and relatively inaccessible; instead, an article from the Canton Repository has as much chance of being on the first page of a Google search as does an article from the New York Times – with both having the shelf-life of forever.

Advice given to newspaper reporters on how to avoid myth-making can easily be adapted to helping your organization avoid similar situations.  This article examines the human factors that drive rumors, the challenge of debunking online misinformation, and provides a data-driven look at the bad practices that cause news websites to spread dubious rumors, and to play a role in disseminating misinformation.

Photo Credit:  Truth Illuminating Human Blindness by Volterrano (Baldassare Franceschini) (Italian, 1611 – 1690) Getty Museum