MMC holds webinar on managing misinformation

Massachusetts Municipal Communicators held its second webinar on Dec. 10, offering strategies for identifying misinformation and disinformation, as well as methods to mitigate falsehoods.

Jeremy Warnick, director of media relations and content strategy for the city of Cambridge, shared some key indicators of misinformation, including emotional manipulation, a lack of credible sources, sensationalized headlines, and contradictions.

Warnick gave examples of social media posts with misinformation that circulated in Cambridge and in Lowell. City officials were able to detect the misinformation quickly and — with the help of pre-existing “strong media relationships” — prevent news stories from amplifying it further.

Norfolk Assistant Town Administrator Kate O’Brien discussed strategies for managing misinformation in a small town, using Norfolk’s experience with the conversion of a closed prison into a temporary emergency shelter as a case study.

Reflecting on lessons learned, she advised attendees to have a centralized message, use community structures, reach out to neighboring communities for guidance, and keep staff informed along the way. When there was an information gap, she said, the town learned to avoid trying to fill it if that responsibility was better suited for someone else, such as a state agency.

Warnick shared strategies to control the spread of misinformation, including social media monitoring, acting quickly, and demonstrating empathetic transparency.

Easton Assistant Town Administrator Sean Dugan moderated 15 minutes of questions and answers, addressing inquiries about crisis communication plans, thresholds for determining when misinformation requires a response, and social media monitoring.

 

• Getting Ahead of and Combating Misinformation: Strategies for Effective Management presentation (2.5M PDF)