The Rising Threat of Misinformation and Disinformation: What Corporate Leaders Need to Know

The Invisible Crisis That Could Sink Your Business

We’re living it! Never in history has misinformation and disinformation been so prevalent. We can’t escape it. We wake up in the morning, and Donald Trump appears in our newsfeed with a shocking statement about the amount that the EU is ripping off the U.S.

Then Elon Musk announces that the U.S. government is rife with fraud. He claims that social security cheques have been sent to 350-year-old people. What? We switch on the television, and Putin makes another outrageous statement. Who do we believe?

The information era has gone into hyperdrive.

With armchair (and legitimate) political pundits posting furiously daily, we have endless opinions to sort through. Who’s right, and who is wrong?

And if you’re leading a company, you could lose millions, even billions, on speculation alone. You could wake up one day to find your company trending on social media for a vicious rumour. A misleading claim about your product spreads uncontrollably.

Your stock price plunges, and the damage is done by the time you issue a correction. This isn’t a hypothetical; it’s happening right now to businesses worldwide.

Misinformation and disinformation aren’t just media buzzwords. They are weapons capable of dismantling reputations, manipulating markets, and influencing elections. In a digital world where lies spread faster than truth, corporate leaders must take action to protect their companies.

Misinformation? Disinformation?

You hear it every day. One person talks about misinformation. Another calls the same thing disinformation. Are they interchangeable? No. They have very different meanings:

• Misinformation: This occurs when false information is unintentionally spread. Example: An employee provides incorrect data about a product recall, resulting in customer confusion.

  
  

• Disinformation: This is used intentionally to cause harm or manipulate. Example: A competitor buys fake reviews to damage a brand’s reputation.

  
  

Both Misinformation and Disinformation Pose Serious Threats to Businesses and Governments Alike. Here's Why:

It Undermines Trust and Reputation

Case Study: P&G’s Tide Pod Challenge Crisis

In 2018, when teenagers were recording themselves eating Tide Pods? It started as an online joke but quickly became a dangerous trend started by misinformation. This is a perfect example of how, out of the blue, misinformation can cause irreparable damage to a brand. The challenge was not started by the company but by internet users spreading misinformation. P&G did everything it could to control the damage, but its reputation suffered; there were product recalls and increased government scrutiny.

It Manipulates Markets & Investor Confidence

Example: Fake News Crashing a Major Corporation’s Stock

Several major corporations have seen false claims about production failures or executive resignations trigger selloffs, resulting in millions of dollars in losses before corrections could be issued.

It Threatens Political Stability & Business Operations

Case Study: Disinformation & Trump’s 2016 Victory

The 2016 U.S. presidential election was a masterclass in disinformation warfare. There was a constant barrage of fake news about candidates, manipulated social media campaigns, and foreign interference. This distorted the public’s view of the parties and candidates and influenced voter behaviour.

It’s not hard to imagine that if bad actors can influence national elections, it would be just as easy to use disinformation against corporations. For businesses, this is a critical risk in 2025.

How to Get Ahead of Misinformation & Disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation are our new reality. Ignoring it won't help. Here's how leaders can protect their brand, employees, stakeholders, and customers strategically:

1. Train Employees & Leaders in Media Literacy

The first line of defense against misinformation begins within your organization. Every employee, from the C-suite to frontline staff, should have the skills to spot bad information. This is what you can include in your media literacy strategy:

• Offer digital literacy training that covers how misinformation spreads, how algorithms can amplify bias, and how to recognize warning signs in digital content.

• Teach your teams source verification techniques so they know how to assess the credibility of links, articles, and even screenshots shared internally or externally.

• Host quarterly “Fake News Spotting” workshops with real-world examples. Bring in guest speakers, such as journalists or cybersecurity experts, to train teams on recognizing doctored images and bot activity.

• Create a culture of trust where employees feel encouraged to question suspicious content before taking action or sharing it.

TIP: Bring media literacy into onboarding and leadership development programs to make it an important part of your organizational culture.

2. Monitor & Respond to Emerging Narratives

You can’t protect your brand from what you can’t see. Detecting dangerous information early will help to limit the spread of harmful stories.

• Invest in AI-powered tools that track mentions of your brand across news outlets, blogs, forums, and social media.

• Analyze narrative velocity and source clusters to determine if a rumor is part of a coordinated campaign or just a misunderstanding.

• Establish a rapid-response team comprising communications, legal, HR, and operations. This team should be able to act swiftly, fact-check, issue clarifications, remove harmful content, or escalate threats as needed.

• Develop pre-approved response templates to reduce lag time in crisis moments.

  
  

TIP: Use scenario-based drills to test your crisis response regularly. Just like fire drills, these simulations build reflexes and reduce panic.

3. Proactively Build & Communicate Trust

Trust is your company’s greatest intangible asset—and its strongest shield against misinformation.

• Be radically transparent in your operations. Share behind-the-scenes processes, customer feedback (both good and bad), and key decision-making insights.

• Publish regular updates through trusted platforms such as your website, LinkedIn, or a company newsletter.

• Collaborate with fact-checking organizations to enhance your credibility and trustworthiness.

• Encourage executive visibility. When your leadership is seen as authentic and informed, it reinforces trust across all stakeholder groups.

• Engage with your online community. Respond to questions and feedback on your channels with clarity and empathy.

Companies Must Act NOW

Misinformation and disinformation aren’t just passing trends or fringe internet problems—they are existential threats to today's organizations. They distort reality, fracture public trust, undermine leadership, and have the power to obliterate a company’s reputation in a matter of hours.

We are no longer in a world where waiting to respond is an option. Speed, clarity, and preparation are the new guardrails for survival. If you’re still thinking this is something that only affects big tech or political campaigns, think again. Every company, no matter its size or industry, is vulnerable.

Still Not Convinced? Here’s What’s at Stake

• A false product claim could lead to a class-action lawsuit before you even become aware of it.

• A misquoted executive comment could go viral and wipe out millions in shareholder value.

• A fabricated email could be used to stoke internal division or prompt damaging leaks to the media.

• A deepfake video might target your CEO during earnings week, triggering panic selling.

These are no longer far-fetched scenarios. They’re happening right now.

5 Bold Steps to Protect Your Company—Starting Today:

Conduct a Misinformation Vulnerability Audit: Map out all the channels where your company is visible—social media, employee reviews, product feedback forums, news mentions, influencer coverage—and assess where your biggest risks lie. Include internal channels too. Ask:

1. What are we monitoring right now?

2. What aren’t we seeing until it’s too late?

3. Who is responsible for our response, and are they trained?

Create a Dedicated Fact-Checking Framework: Every piece of outbound communication should be reviewed for accuracy, tone, and vulnerability to misinterpretation. This isn’t about censorship; it’s about clarity and responsibility.

Build a Multi-Disciplinary Misinformation Task Force: This team should include Comms/PR, Legal, Cybersecurity, Marketing, and HR. It should meet regularly, run simulations, and refine playbooks. When misinformation hits, there won’t be time to decide who’s in charge.

Partner with Outside Experts: Form alliances with cybersecurity firms, crisis communications agencies, AI vendors, and fact-checkers. These partners can provide tools and insights that your internal can’t replicate.

Create a Culture That Values Truth and Transparency. At the core, your best defense is trust. Share updates, own mistakes, and encourage employees to report suspicious content without fear.

A Final Word of Urgency

We are in the midst of an information arms race, and your brand is the battlefield. Being passive is not neutral.

It’s dangerous.

Start today. Audit. Train. Monitor. Prepare.

What steps has your company taken to combat misinformation?

Let’s discuss in the comments below or connect here, then press Contact Us.

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