How to combat the spread of misinformation on social media

Information spreads quickly, and misinformation spreads even faster. This is a challenge for people and communities, and for social media and communications teams across the public sector, too. 

We originally published a blog on this topic in August 2024, following disturbing cases of civil unrest across the UK. Those events highlighted the dangers of misinformation, causing confusion, panic, and anti-social behaviour. 

Now, with the changes announced by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, there are growing concerns around how communicators will tackle combating the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Although the removal of fact-checkers is only in the US initially, the global nature of social media means inaccurate information will inevitably spread to UK audiences.

Effectively managing and preventing the spread of false information is becoming harder and more time consuming but social media management tools like Orlo can help.

As the incidents across the UK in summer 2024, which were primarily fuelled by anti-immigration sentiment illustrated, there are serious implications for the spread of misinformation. False information about the trigger incident, the identities of those involved, and the ongoing threat spread rapidly across social media platforms. 

As is seen all too often, this can lead to fear and misunderstanding, complicating the efforts of emergency services on the ground, and of comms and social media teams across public sector organisations. 

The challenge for comms teams is about correcting the narrative and reassuring their communities, whether that be during a crisis like the violent riots in summer 2024, or combating inaccuracies day-to-day. Spending precious resources doing this means they have less time to work on planned communications and ongoing campaigns.

Why is it that misinformation can spread so quickly?

The viral nature of social media

False information often spreads faster than corrections or factual updates from reputable sources. We all know how fast rumours can spread, and digital channels facilitate that. Often, false stories have spread like wildfire and ‘go viral’ before those who know the facts are aware of them, so comms people are often playing catch up.

Emotional reactions

People are more likely to share sensational or alarming news without verifying its accuracy. The false information is often more novel and emotionally charged; people are drawn to stories that are surprising, shocking, or emotive. This drives engagement and sharing, amplifying the spread of misinformation.

Social media algorithms

Algorithms often create echo chambers, where users are exposed to information similar to information they have previously interacted with, reinforcing their existing beliefs, regardless of accuracy. People then tend to share information that confirms their existing beliefs and opinions. They see the misinformation, agree with it, and are more likely to share it without critical evaluation, which then further feeds the algorithms. They don’t fact check it themselves, and they don’t want to. Either because they don’t want to be challenged, or they lack the time or inclination to think about the information.

Without stating the obvious, it’s important to note that this is a complex issue with many contributing factors. Combating misinformation needs a structured approach, and some of the most effective strategies we’ve come across from the organisations we work with have these strategies in place:

Prompt and transparent communication

Real-time updates

Providing your community with accurate and up-to-date information (where possible) can prevent misinformation from taking control of the narrative. 

During the Southport incident that triggered the events in Summer 2024, local authorities quickly shared verified updates that the threat was contained helping to reassure their community and limit the spread of misinformation. 

It is better to say something than nothing. If there’s no messaging from official sources, people will fill the void with rumour and speculation. Putting out content that says ‘we have no new information at the moment but will share it with you as soon as we can’ will go a long way to keeping people engaged and looking to your channels for accurate and timely information.

Transparency

Being open with your community and clearly explaining the steps being taken and why, can help build trust with the public and further reduce the likelihood of misinformation being believed and shared.

It may also lead to self-policing, where members of the public correct misinformation on your behalf by replying to comments, for example. 

Engaging with the community

Community Engagement

Engage with your communities and encourage them to question and verify information before sharing it. Educate them on ways to spot misinformation and the importance of only sharing information from reputable or verified sources. Regular engagement with your communities outside of a crisis can help to build trust and establish you as a source of truth. 

In some cases, communities with high levels of awareness can self-regulate. There are lots of instances of this. For example, during the pandemic, local community groups and volunteers in the UK actively worked to counter misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. They organised online Q&A sessions, shared accurate information through social media, and addressed concerns directly within their communities. 

Some social media platforms are working with users to help identify and combat misinformation through initiatives such as Community Notes on X (formerly Twitter). 

Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program is under review following Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement in January 2025, but the UK, and other regions including the EU, have begun introducing regulations for social media platforms. The Online Safety Act was passed into law in October 2023, with enforcement being phased in. It includes measures to protect children and young people, address illegal content, reduce the spread of harmful content, and increase accountability for social media companies through stricter enforcement and potential fines.

Leveraging technology

Social Listening Tools

Tools that allow you to listen to what’s happening across multiple social media channels are essential for identifying emerging trends – good or bad. 

Social listening tools like ours can enable you to respond quickly with proactive comms, which can be critical to combat misinformation before it takes hold. This helps you to manage and mitigate challenges before they escalate, as part of your crisis comms strategy.

Automated Alerts

Setting up automated alerts for keywords and phrases related to the incident to help identify and address any false information. Better still, through automation users can tag a theme, add a note, or assign specific team members to make managing the incident across multiple channels more efficient and measurable.

Real-time monitoring and alerts

Orlo Insights provides real-time social listening and media monitoring across over 2.5 million sources, allowing public sector organisations to identify misinformation and gain community intelligence. Through a combination of anomaly detection and automated alerts, Orlo can notify teams of a potential crisis, allowing your crisis comms plan to kick in.

One platform for all of your channels

Orlo’s marketing communications features allow teams to communicate across all of your channels ensuring a consistent measure throughout the crisis and beyond. This ensures that accurate information is consistently shared, reducing the chances of misinformation taking hold.

Engagement tools

Orlo facilitates direct engagement with your communities, on their channel of choice. This allows organisations to address concerns, answer questions, and correct false information in real-time, because you can speak to your audiences where they’re active rather than expecting them to come to you to find your information. In turn, this helps build trust and fosters a well-informed public.

Analytics and insights

With Orlo’s performance analytics tools, public sector organisations can gain valuable insight into how misinformation spreads and the effectiveness of their responses. This data-driven approach allows for continuous improvement in communication strategies.

Misinformation and disinformation are not new challenges, but the digital age has amplified their impact, making it crucial for public sector organisations to respond swiftly and effectively. 

By implementing strategic actions such as real-time updates, transparent communication, and community engagement, public sector communications teams can build trust and ensure accurate information reaches the right audiences. 

Leveraging technology like social listening tools and automated alerts can further enhance their ability to combat misinformation. 

As the landscape of social media continues to evolve, having the right plans, tech, AI tools, and strategies in place is essential to tackle misinformation and safeguard communities, build, and maintain public trust.

If you’d like to know more about how Orlo can help you tackle the spread of mis- and disinformation, get in touch for a chat.