The Scoop: Mysterious drone sightings bring messy messaging

Everyone can agree on one thing: Something weird is happening over the East Coast.

Mysterious lights – most likely drones – began appearing over New Jersey in November. They’ve since been spotted in New York City, Virginia Beach, Massachusetts and beyond. The unmanned aircraft are 6 feet in diameter, much larger than traditional hobbyist drones. And no one knows where they’re coming from or what they’re doing. But there’s sure plenty of speculation.

Officials, including those from the FBI, Pentagon, FAA and the White House, have said a lot about what the drones aren’t. They aren’t a threat to public safety. They aren’t U.S. military drones. Nor are they from a foreign power.

But there’s almost no information on what the drones are.

That information vacuum is leading to predictable consequences: rampant speculation, conspiracy theories and many, many suggestions to shoot the drones down. Some of these calls to blast the aircraft from the sky came from high-ranking officials, including President-elect Donald Trump. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” Trump said on Truth Social.

Other public officials have cautioned the public not to shoot at the drones, which could be a federal crime.

But the fear and worry are growing.

Why it matters: Unexplained aircraft are appearing over highly populated areas and important infrastructure, including military research facilities and airports.

“Don’t worry about it” is never going to be an effective message.

As the lack of answers grow, so does hysteria. Officials don’t dispute that there is something odd going on with drones, but an FBI official said that of 5,000 tips received in New Jersey, perhaps 100 warrant further investigation. The rest appear to be standard commercial aircraft. That increases concerns that mounting worries – and urging from some officials – might lead the public to take shots at the mysterious lights they see in the sky.

A crisis like will always be incredibly difficult to control. You have dozens of local, state and federal jurisdictions, each with their own leaders with their own politics, priorities and communications styles. You have a panicked public who just wants to know what’s going on. And, potentially, you have national security rules that mean the whole truth can’t come out.

But someone – likely the White House – needs to take the reins and offer regular, clear, honest updates that are transparent about what is known, what isn’t known and what simply can’t be shared. It won’t completely shut down the cacophony of varying voices, but it can start to establish a source of truth that might calm the furor before someone gets hurts.

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• A backpack company is facing backlash over contacting the police when they spotted their product in a surveillance photo of the man believed to have killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Peter Dering, founder of Peak Design, told the New York Times he contacted police after he spotted their backpack in a photo of a man now believed to be Luigi Mangione. Echoing comments made over a Pennsylvania McDonald’s worker who spotted Mangione and led to his arrest, Dering was called a “snitch” and said his company faced threats. Others raised concerns over privacy around product registration and whether the company turned over any identifying information to authorities. Peak Design issued a statement laying out their privacy policies, namely that no identifying information was provided and that the company would do so only if presented with a subpoena. It also went on to explain how serial numbers and registration information is used. This incident demonstrates just how quickly even small actions – like telling police “hey, that’s our product” – can quickly spin out of control. While some of the backlash is just internet fury – albeit frightening in its intensity and threats – clarifying how customer information is used is a smart move and can help rebuild trust in the long-term.
• The second Trump administration is already pushing back against the media before a single member is sworn into office. The New York Times reports that a variety of defamation lawsuits have already been filed against media outlets including ABC News, which agreed to pay $15 million after George Stephanopoulos incorrectly said Trump was found civilly liable for rape. He was found civilly liable for sexual abuse. Trump has also filed suits against “60 Minutes” and The New York Times while some of his potential department heads have sued those who have spoken out against them in the media. Experts warn this trend is likely to continue, making it clear we’re entering a murky new era in the relationship between the press and the government. We also may see some companies begin to follow suit here, more aggressively pushing back against media coverage that isn’t true … or they don’t like. If your organization seems to be going down that road, it’s time to forge relationships with your legal department and understand the strategy and your role.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Bluesky or LinkedIn.