How not to catfish a journalist
By Claire Wych, Senior Content Director
Press Gazette’s recent exposé on the rise of dubious media commentary shows just how easy it is to fake your way into the news. What can PR agencies and their clients do to maintain trust with the media in the age of AI?
In the cult classic series, Catfish: The TV Show, hosts Nev Shulman and Max Joseph help people who have fallen in love online test the authenticity of their lovers’ identities.
When the show first began in 2012, some of the excuses used by catfishers to avoid verifying their identity were plausible if not a little unusual; their camera was broken, they didn’t have mobile data, they didn’t have a phone at all. In other cases, some catfishers went to extreme lengths to appear ‘real’ by, for example, making a circle of friends online that could ‘vouch’ for them.
Fast forward a decade to a world of unlimited data and phones with multiple front and back cameras and it had become more difficult for catfishers to hide the truth.
Until the launch of AI.
Not only has personal catfishing levelled up with deep-fake videos and images, but it’s also seeping into professional communications and PR.
Catfishing and PR
Concern about being able to tell between what is real and fake on the internet is rising, with 44 percent of respondents to 2024’s Digital News Report survey saying they are uncomfortable with content generated mostly by AI with some human oversight. Although that discomfort varied by topic, with respondents more accepting of AI reporting on celebrities, entertainment and sports than on politics and crime.
And it seems this concern is justified.
In a recent exposé by Rob Waugh at Press Gazette, multiple examples of dubious media commentary on everything from avocados and astrology to money and psychology were found. Worst still, at a recent conference, an industry spokesperson even recommended using AI generated profiles to fake EEAT (experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) to boost SEO. And not to mention AI’s unsettling interference in recent elections with bots pushing fake political views in Romania and presidential candidates using deepfake images during the US election.
In an age where anyone can use AI to generate a relatively sophisticated and accurate comment or image, and a fake CV to match, what can PR agencies and their clients do to maintain trust with the media?
Maintaining trust in expert comment in the age of AI
- Make it easy for journalists to verify your expert
Providing links to recent podcasts, video interviews or event participation is a quick way for a journalist to verify that your expert is a real person, and indeed an expert on the subject matter in question. Links to contributed articles, research papers and other coverage can also be useful.
LinkedIn profiles are also brilliant for proving identity and demonstrating credibility, particularly if your expert is engaged on the platform and has references from others.
- Vet your expert yourself
However, it’s important that PR agencies and their clients vet their experts themselves too; did you know, around 70% of people admit toying with the truth on their resume? Even the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has been caught at it!
Spending time with the expert – whether as part of a specific media training exercise, or for content writing, for example – will help the account team understand the expert’s capabilities and ensure they are put forward for the most appropriate opportunities. Journalists seek unique takes and new insights, so it’s important that an expert not only talks confidently and credibly about a topic but also adds value.
- You can’t fake face to face
Whether in person, or on a video call, it’s difficult (right now anyway) to fake your way through a face-to-face meeting. Before COVID, face-to-face meetings were much more popular, especially at events, and we continue to advise clients and our team members to build relationships with journalists in person – whether that’s at an event or over coffee / a pint.
- Work with a PR agency that is an expert in your field
Taking a proactive approach to spokesperson profile building will help to build relationships and trust in the long term. However, with PR agencies a dime a dozen, it’s important to find one that understands your industry and its media landscape inside out. The best agencies know what good journalist-expert matches look like and will strive to only book interviews and offer commentary that will be beneficial for both parties, not just to achieve KPIs.
- Have a clear AI policy
For all activities, but especially for media facing ones such as writing comments or content, clients and PR agencies alike should have a clear policy on AI usage and you should know how AI is being used on your behalf. For example, at Aspectus, we are trialling various tools that help us to automate repetitive, rules-based activities. This creates more time for our industry-specialist marketeers to focus on higher-value creative and strategic activities such as content creation and relationship building – activities that need the human touch. As an example, I had the time to write this blog without the use of AI.
Conclusion
These are just some of our media engagement recommendations. So, whether you’re looking for PR and communications support in energy, financial services, capital markets or technology, find out how we could help you build meaningful, long-term relationships between the media and your experts, today.
Key takeaways
Q1: Can AI write good media comments?
Most AI-generated comments lack depth. Industry leaders and subject matter experts remain the most credible source of insights for journalists particularly when backed with evidence and paired with personal anecdotes. The more depth provided to a journalist the more insightful and engaging comments will be.
Q2: How can I evidence my expert’s credentials?
Provide their LinkedIn, or links to their appearance on podcasts, video interviews and events panels or articles they have written.
Q3: How comfortable are people with AI generated content?
According to the Digital News Report, people are more comfortable with content that has been generated mostly by humans than by AI. Only 19% of people are very or somewhat comfortable with content mostly generated by AI with some human oversight compared to 36% of people who are very or somewhat comfortable with content mostly generated by humans with some help from AI.
