Public relations in times of misinformation: challenges and opportunities for organizational communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2025.28.s1.13Keywords:
Organizational communication, trust, misinformation, public relationsAbstract
The rise of misinformation affects credibility and trust in organizations and represents a critical challenge for public relations. This phenomenon has intensified with the proliferation of digital technologies and mass communication platforms, facilitating its rapid spread. To mitigate its negative effects, organizations must implement agile strategies that include fact-checking, transparency in communication, public education campaigns, and proactive crisis management protocols. Likewise, dealing effectively with disinformation requires a coordinated effort by institutions, governments, companies, journalists, and citizens, promoting a culture of critical thinking and information responsibility in society.
Downloads
References
Álvarez-Nobell, A., Molleda, J. C., Moreno, A., Athaydes, A., Suárez-Monsalve, A. M., y Herrera, M. (2023). Latin American Communication Monitor 2022-23. Comunicación estratégica y relaciones públicas en América Latina: diversidad y liderazgo empático, commtech y consultoría. Resultados de una encuesta en 20 países. Euprera. http://www.latincommunicationmonitor.com/
Choi, S., Anderson, A. A., Cagle, S., Long, M. y Kelp, N. (2023). Scientists’ deficit perception of the public impedes their behavioral intentions to correct misinformation. Plos One, 18(8), e0287870. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287870
Dircom. (2024). Anuario de la Comunicación 2024: El impacto de la IA. https://anuario2024.dircom.org/
Edelman Trust Institute. (2024). 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer. Global Report. https://www.edelman.com/trust/2024/trust-barometer
Edwards, L. (2021). Organised lying and professional legitimacy: Public relations’ accountability in the disinformation debate. European Journal of Communication, 36(2), 168-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323120966851
Ecker, U. K. H., Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Schmid, P., Fazio, L., Brashier, N., Kendeu, P., Vraga, E. y Amazeen, M. (2022). Los impulsores psicológicos de la creencia en la desinformación y su resistencia a la corrección. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1, 13-29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-021-00006-y
Ennis, G. (2023). Dark PR: How corporate disinformation harms our health and the environment. Daraja Press.
Gavin, L., McChesney, J., Tong, A., Sherlock, J., Foster, L. y Tomsa, S. (2022). Fighting the spread of Covid-19 misinformation in Kyrgyzstan, India, and the United States: How replicable are accuracy nudge interventions? Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000086
Gasana, K. (2024). Crisis communication and reputation management in the age of fake news. Journal of Public Relations, 3(1), 28-39. https://doi.org/10.47941/jpr.1773
García Sanz, R. M. (2019). The complicated relationship between the institution of Public Opinion and the public communication processes on the Internet: Fakes news challenging constitutional guarantees. Revista de Derecho Político, 1(106), 77–104. https://doi.org/10.5944/rdp.106.2019.26148
Gomes-Gonçalves, S. (2022). Los deepfakes como una nueva forma de desinformación corporativa. Una revisión de la literatura. International Review Of Communication And Marketing Mix, 5(2), 22-38. https://doi.org/10.12795/IROCAMM.2022.v05.i02.02
Gomes-Gonçalves, S., Jiménez-Marín, G. y Pulido-Polo, S. (2022). Relaciones públicas y fake news en la comunicación corporativa. Una revisión de la literatura. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 12(23), 93-116. https://doi.org/10.5783/RIRP-23-2022-06-93-116
Inobemhe, K. (2021). Social media fake news, myths and conspiracies on Covid-19: Threat to public health in Nigeria. Media & Communication Currents, 5(1), 38-55. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.10.020375
Ireton, C. y Posetti, J. (eds.) (2018). Journalism, fake news & disinformation: Handbook for journalism education and training. Unesco.
Jahng, M. R., Lee, H. y Rochadiat, A. (2020). Public relations practitioners’ management of fake news: Exploring key elements and acts of information authentication. Public Relations Review, 46(2), 101907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101907
Levak, D. (2021). Disinformation in the New Media System. Characteristics, forms, reasons for its dissemination and potential means of tackling the issue. Medijska Istraživanja, 27(2), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.22572/mi.26.2.2
Masood, M., Nawaz, M., Malik, K. M., Javed, A., Irtaza, A. y Malik, H. (2023). Deepfakes generation and detection: State-of-the-art, open challenges, countermeasures, and way forward. Applied Intelligent 53, 3974-4026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10489-022-03766-z
Morejón-Llamas, N. (2020). Desinformación y alfabetización mediática desde las instituciones: los decálogos contra las fake news. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 10(20), 111-134. https://doi.org/10.5783/RIRP-20-2020-07-111-134
Naeem, S. B., Bhatti, R. y Khan, A. (2021). An exploration of how fake news is taking over social media and putting public health at risk. Health Info Library Journal, 38(2), 143-149. https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12320
USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations. (2024). Global Communication Report 2024. https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report
Vázquez Almendros, P. y Paniagua Rojano, F. J. (2022). La labor de verificación de noticias desde el departamento de comunicación. Estudio de casos en el sector agroalimentario. Revista de Ciencias de la Comunicación e Información, 27, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.35742/rcci.2022.27.e238
Zerfass, A., Tench, R., Verčič, D., Moreno, A., Buhmann, A. y Hagelstein, J. (2023). European Communication Monitor 2023. Looking back and ahead: 15 years of research on strategic communication. Euprera/EACD. https://www.communicationmonitor.eu/
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Marc Compte-Pujol, Ileana Zeler

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
1. Proposed Policy for Journals That Offer Open Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
