Rafael Núñez: “Reputation can take 20 years to be created, but 5 minutes to be destroyed”

Fake news or false news can generate a dangerous circle of misinformation. At present, in a matter of seconds, these can be replicated in various digital sites, affecting the right that all citizens have to receive truthful, fair and balanced information.

The emergence of social platforms – in many cases – has contributed significantly to the dissemination of misleading news. “In principle, because by moving to a form of networking communication, unlike broadcasting, the exchange of messages on the network, allows users to be, in addition to consumers, also producers of speeches that circulate and that are often false” in addition to exaggerated.

This is outlined in general terms by the report entitled What are Fake News ?, directed not only to journalists, but also to society in general, in order to make them aware of and stop this disinformation spiral that, without a doubt, has had important repercussions in the political, social and cultural spheres.

The Report also highlights that, according to the First Draft organization (dedicated to improving online coverage skills and standards), there are 7 types of false information:

• Satire or parody
• Misleading content
• Imposter content
• Manufactured content
• False connection
• False context
• Manipulated content

The irreversible deterioration of the health of the defamed person can be one of the serious consequences of a false news

In Venezuela there have been numerous cases that have been presented in recent years, one of the most recent – and which had a great dissemination in the media – was that of the Venezuelan presenter Dave Capella, who before dying from complications associated with the Covid-19, was accused of using his condition as a scam. Among the personalities that echoed these comments, Jean Mary Curró and Alex Goncalves stand out. Many of his followers on social networks deplored the fact, so the two apologized formally to the memory of Dave and his relatives.

Balance and equity

Rafael Núñez, CEO of MásQueDigital and MásQueSeguridad, is convinced that every action generates a reaction. “This type of conduct causes them to lose credibility over time, and if it is public media, they receive criminal complaints”, as in fact happened in the case of the Venezuelan presenters.

Rafael emphasizes that the media must be very careful with the information they disclose, verify whether it is a true story or a manipulation, and bear in mind that this can cost them and the journalist their image. “We are in such a distorted society, it seems that nothing matters and it really does matter, it matters a lot, because every time we should be a better society, with constructive news that really generates value” in addition to naturally being truthful or true.

He recommends being weighted and seeking balance “because there are people who read the news before going to sleep and, according to what they take to the subconscious, somatize all that.” However, it recognizes that there are not very encouraging events that should be published or revealed, in this case it suggests, not to misrepresent or demonize the facts. “If you have to say something that is happening, negative of course, it should be said but without yellowish nuances, without demonizing. That is what worries, because that is how everything seems to be, and that is a half truth; It can even be a lie depending on what you mean. You have to change that.”

Ethics and responsibility

Ethics and responsibility are values ​​that must be present in the exercise of every profession. Why then do we see these practices in some communication mechanisms? Rafael assures that there are many reasons that move and go from unfair competition to financial ones. He adds that there are bloggers who are not professional journalists and are dedicated to extorting money. They take on the role of investigator to gain political or social attention and then ask for money in exchange for deleting the defamatory content. “There is a person in Panama who was dedicated to that, now he had to migrate, precisely because of so many complaints he had.”

These kinds of articles and publications produce serious effects, which of course include the reputational sphere. “Companies can lose customers. In recent years, we have seen everything, it is super delicate, and there are damages that can be almost irreversible. Reputation can take 20 years to create, but 5 minutes to destroy.”

Finally, Rafael Núñez, who directs MásQueDigital and MásQueSeguridad, advises all those who have been violated or affected by false accusations on the Internet, go to experts to seek guidance. “We at MásQueDigital are experts in reputation management and damage control. We can study the case, and since we have strategic alliances with specialized lawyers against computer crimes and defamation, we can provide all the necessary, comprehensive and convenient advice to properly attend your case, find solutions and find the best way to mitigate the risk, that’s the best, go to the specialist.”

Source: DOBLELLAVE