The digital era has seen an increasing number of Americans sourcing news online, up to 80% as reported by The Pew Research Center. This trend comes with challenges, including the rampant spread of both misinformation and disinformation. Organizations are therefore focusing on how to tackle this issue, investing efforts to curb the propagation of unreliable data.
IAE Charter for Greenwash Prevention has initiated strategies to combat misinformation, specifically in the domain of environmental issues. Their projects aim to eliminate greenwashing, a deceptive practice that misrepresents environmental efforts of companies, and to align industry practices with the 1.5-degree global warming limit of the Paris Agreement.
The Charter also directs its strategies towards fortifying the validity of environmental marketing strategies. They insist on the necessity of aligning industries with the universally accepted goals in the Paris Agreement. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is paramount.
Addressing the rising incidence of misinformation, Yonder has initiated discussions with prominent thinkers, with a 90-minute digital meeting yielding insights on battling false claims threating organizations and brands.
The IAE Charter members comply with the Code of Ethics provided by the Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS). They are committed to reporting accurate and honest information, underlining the damaging consequences of misinformation to the profession and the public’s trust. They also emphasize the importance of ethical communication.
Non-profit organizations like the News Literacy Project are pioneering efforts to educate Americans to distinguish real from fake news promptly. The primary emphasis is to urge the verification of news material to validate its credibility.
To prevent the spread of misleading information, it is crucial to verify news headlines before sharing. Fact-checking organizations debunk myths routinely, promoting informed societal discourse. Many platforms are creating fact-check tools to help users authenticate information.
Utilizing ‘gamification’, an innovative teaching method that helps users discern deceptive content and navigate through the endless waves of false information on the Internet has been proven effective. Merging technology and education can be a potent weapon in the ongoing battle against misinformation.
