WCF tackles fake news, new social media challenges

Communication Managers across the world have been urged to take Social Media seriously, as this will help monitor their reputation. The challenge of fake news was also put on the communications front burner.

This was stated at the 2017 World Communications Forum (WCF), held in Geneva, Switzerland, by an International Communicator, Speaker and Development Expert, Micheal Bociurkiw.

According to him, reputation is key. His words: “CEOs of companies, who refuse to spend on social media/social media strategy/crisis communications, do so at their own peril. Monitoring is required 24/7. You or your company’s reputation is everything because it takes years to build a trusted brand but minutes/seconds to bring it down. Don’t allow a gap in communications to allow others to do the speaking for you.”

He reiterated that in the current communications environment, clients expect their consultants to be decision-makers. However, Social media now requires quick decisions in the middle of the night, thus encouraging communications practitioners and chief executive officers to embrace social media as much as they can.

According to him, “Information is fast food, because today people consume 87 per cent more information than 30 years ago. In the past four months the communications environment has changed completely, now communications wags the tail of diplomacy.”

He admitted that fake news is a danger to democracy and could easily become hate speech, and that large new media companies such as FaceBook, have been slow to introduce policies/tools to combat.

He highlighted this as one of the challenges of the social media, in spite of its numerous advantages, and hopes there will be a solution to this, as he upholds the use of social media in the 21st century.

He advised communications practitioners to have a strong working relationships with producers/journalists, as this will help get out negative stories from the media in event of any crisis.

“Mainstream media plays a crucial role in transmitting impactful stories from a crisis and giving it context. A strong working relationship with producers/journalists one of the key elements of getting a story out,” he added.

At the 2017 World Communication Forum, not less than 19 awards reached winners from all around the world at the 2017 World Communications Forum (WCF). Held on March 14th, at Beau Rivage Hotel, in Geneva, Switzerland, the award recognised highly professional and globally remarkable individual communicators and organisations with a creative approach and unique vision of the future of the communications industry worldwide.

Launched in the year 2011, the Communications for Future Awards has 23 nomination categories under three divisions, which are the Personal, Corporate, and Start ups. Nominees for the Awards are usually received from thirty countries across five continents.

Some of the awards given at the just concluded 2017 forum which happens to be the 7th edition were, Grand Davos Award, Titan of the Future, Relations Of the Future, Evangelists of the Future, Leaders of the Future, talent of the Future, Idea of the Future, Technology of the Future, Education of the Future, Reputation of the Future, all amongst others and won by different people and organisations across the continents.