Thanks to recent events in the USA, the phrase “fake news” has become popular. Fake news, the intentional publication of hoaxes and disinformation, has existed for many decades. For example: while standing in a supermarket checkout lane, you’ve probably noticed all those crazy headlines on tabloid magazine covers: cures for cancer, alien invasions, Bigfoot sightings, the end of the world, and so on.
Sometimes fake news is used to sway opinion but mostly it’s used to make money.
Fake news isn’t used just to influence elections. It’s routinely used online to garner web clicks which in turn helps generate money through advertising. Sometimes this is outright fake news and other times it’s clickbait headlines to trick readers. Unfortunately many legitimate news outlets shoot themselves in the foot when they do the same thing:
Are these harmless? Surely everyone recognizes that these ads are ads and that fake news is fake, right?
Two recent US surveys found that 46% and 75%, respectively, of survey respondents were fooled by fake news reports. Another US study showed that 7,800 students from middle school to college had trouble distinguishing between editorial and advertising and between real and fake.
Another problem is that many web sites, including large news sites, use cheap stock photos as real news photos. All four of the major daily newspapers in Toronto have been doing this as a cost-saving measure and, yet again, have shot themselves in the foot. Combine this with the public’s inability to distinguish between real and fake news and the problem begins to snowball.
What does this have to do with your company?
Take a look at your business web site. How many stock pictures are you using? How many of these photos show non-existent employees? A non-existent office? A non-existent customer service department? Pretend customers? Your company is intentionally misleading the public. Could this be considered fake news?
Do you have a disclaimer stating that the stock photos on your web site are for illustrative purposes only and are not a true representation? No? Then it’s a false and misleading representation which may violate Canada’s Competition Act.
While there is a place for stock pictures in illustration, they should never be used for your marketing or for building a corporate image.
The only solution is to use authentic photography to show who you are and what you do. Instead of having a fake company image based on someone else’s stock pictures, build a true, valuable corporate image for your company. Use real photography to earn customer trust.
