Lateefah Jean-Baptiste, freelance communications professional and journalist: “PR professionals play a vital role in safeguarding truth. Having worked at a charity focused on tackling misinformation, I’ve seen how crucial it is for PR practitioners to prioritise credible sourcing and ethical storytelling. The future of public relations hinges on our ability to safeguard authenticity and ensure the stories we share remain free from misinformation and false narratives.”

Mike Young, head of news at Broadcast Revolution: “I spent 25 years working in broadcast newsrooms. In that time, I witnessed the massive changes that social media delivered. We now live in a world where everyone is (or can be) a publisher/broadcaster. And it’s a world where fake news is commonplace. In 2017, I recall Jon Snow of Channel 4 News delivering the MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival. He identified Facebook as a growing source of news, he said it had ‘a moral duty to prioritise veracity over virality’. He added, ‘In a world of social media echo chambers, never has trust [in UK broadcasters’ news programmes] been more important, more vital.’ His rallying cry was ‘we can prevail in the pursuit of truth’. The Broadcast Revolution Broadcast Report 2025 found TV was still top dog when it came to media consumption, followed by YouTube then Facebook before radio. This is a new world of news consumption. We also noted that a quarter of viewers we spoke to didn’t fully trust any of the major news sources. The Broadcast PR world has to be part of Jon Snow’s pursuit of truth to ensure what people see and hear in their news consumption is actually true, and clients need to offer well-researched comprehensive data. There’s demand for a diverse array of case studies to speak first-hand about an issue. and for well-informed, media-trained spokespeople to have key facts and trends at their fingertips. This has always been the case, but now broadcasters are pushing harder than ever for the veracity that Jon Snow spoke about.”

Jenny Mowat, CEO at Babel PR: "The post-truth era, rife with misinformation and mistrust, has fundamentally reshaped our role as PR's. We are now combatting #fakenews, AI generated content and [attempting to] re-assure customers and partners via an authentic narrative. It's a lot to juggle. Our industry needs to champion and become curators of credible information, prioritising transparency and verifiable facts. This needs to be driven through engaging and genuine dialogues with target audiences. This is often fuelled by diverse perspectives. Professionals need to fact-check, and utilise AI ethically, to identify and counter disinformation in a bid to deliver authentic voices. It's a stark reality that journalists have to be the last line of defence in the post truth error, but good PRs should be the first."

Sophie Bassil, account director (healthcare) at The PHA Group: “People trust people, which as we all know carries risks in our digital age of misinformation. However, human connection remains the most powerful communication tool – if it’s used wisely. As PR professionals, we could probably draft quotes with our eyes closed. But in the context of authenticity, it's worth going back to basics. What truly makes a quote sing? It's not about ticking boxes in brand guidelines or regurgitating corporate jargon. We need messages that are human, emotive, and relatable. Spokespeople are key – seek out personable and down to earth individuals, who can speak with authenticity and passion. But, the commitment to authenticity extends beyond crafting compelling quotes. There is a broader responsibility [for PR professionals] around sharing content with the media. Otherwise, we risk becoming part of the problem. Critically examine your data, ensure accuracy, and resist sensationalism. In an era of misinformation, sticking to the principles of genuine communication is more important than ever.”

Catherine Frankpitt, director Strike Communications: “Practitioners should identify key journalists in the more credible media outlets and build genuine relationships with them to become trusted and go-to contacts. That means being as open and transparent as possible, providing straightforward answers to difficult questions, using data to evidence and underpin compelling stories, and responding swiftly to enquiries, interview requests or offering commentary to ensure the journalists hit their deadlines. Investing in this approach means organisations are far more likely to get fair and balanced coverage, while ensuring an organisation has a consistently straightforward, authentic narrative. This will make it harder for false narratives to gain traction.”

Nick Taylor, managing director at Tyto: “Despite a rise in misinformation, the role of PR professionals hasn’t changed. PR teams should always be a trusted source of accurate information for the media. But, there is still a job to be done by the PR industry to better articulate its value at board level about the risk of misinformation. We hold a privileged place as a trusted source of information for the news media. Our value to business is in our ability to act as that conduit, helping companies to articulate themselves, whilst at the same time helping the media understand complex or fast-moving topics. We have important responsibilities on both sides which ultimately benefit all. Authenticity in communications is generated through trust. The PR agencies and teams that will win out will be those that nurture and take great care of their privileged position as sources of truth. Executive teams and the media will want to work with those that can be trusted not to abuse that position.”

Chris Clarke, co-founder at Fire on the Hill: “PR should develop internal policies for reporting misinformation, implementing fact-checking protocols, and deploying technology to detect false information. Detection is the first priority, and this can be done by empowering all employees to be vigilant and flagging any concerns. It is also important to strengthen relationships with journalists to ensure credible information appears in the press. In my experience, all journalists want accurate and reliable information as source materials and it’s our job to provide that. Critically, PR professionals must be adept at navigating the complex world of digital information, constantly monitoring for potential threats, and swiftly countering false narratives to protect corporate reputations. This is becoming ever more important because of the latest moves by major social platforms to remove or downgrade fact-checking.”