Disinformation and organisational communication: A study of the impact of fake news

Abstract

Introduction: Disinformation is a current phenomenon. Fake news stories have the potential to go viral and this poses new risks for the reputation of organisations. This study seeks to identify the types of organisations (public institutions, political parties and companies) that have been affected the most by fake news in Spain and to identify the most frequently spread false rumours. Methods: The study adopts a descriptive approach based on the content analysis of the fake news collected, over a 3-month period, by Maldito Bulo, an independent journalistic platform focused on the control of disinformation and public discourse through fact-checking and data journalism techniques. Results and conclusions: The results confirm that more than half of the sample of fake news target organisations and seek to affect mainly the reputation of public institutions, followed by companies and political parties. 31% of the fake news related to organisations referred to individuals associated to them.