The Scoop: Misinformation hurts Helene response efforts

The catastrophic effects of Hurricane Helene have residents throughout the southeastern United States looking for information about support services and operational updates only to find posts filled with misleading information about the response from the federal government and support agencies.

In recent days, top results related to Helene have generated millions of views, but many are spreading potentially dangerous misinformation.

The comments range from wild conspiracy theories about “weather modification” targeting areas that support Donald Trump to posting President Joe Biden’s remarks out of context to make it seem like he wouldn’t provide money to states to assist with storm relief.

“The kind of difference here that we’re experiencing is just the amount of kind of maybe un-useful tweets that you have to dig through to be able to find the useful, actionable ones,” Samantha Montano, an assistant professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, told NPR about Helene compared to other natural disasters. “And that’s a real challenge because in a disaster, you don’t necessarily have time to be digging through all of that.”

Why it matters: Disinformation is especially damaging when it has the potential to undermine the ability of agencies to provide vital  services.

The temptation may be to disregard those comments and hope they eventually go away. This “don’t feed the fire” approach can be dangerous, though, as it lets the problem grow unchecked, spreading rapidly like wildfire. If this happens, those rumors can cause lasting harm to an organization’s reputation. In a case like Helene relief, they can also hinder organizations’ ability to do their job.

Many major disaster response organizations, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross, have decided to address the misinformation head-on.

FEMA, for instance, has launched a social media counter-campaign to debunk conspiracy theories one by one. It has also set up a website to verify facts and counter conspiracy theories as they emerge.

The Red Cross is taking a similar approach by addressing specific conspiracy theories while also emphasizing the dangers of spreading unverified information.

Misinformation can spread quickly after a disaster, causing confusion and distrust within communities struggling to recover. Unfortunately, we’re seeing this during our response to Hurricane Helene.

Sharing rumors online without first vetting the source and verifying facts… pic.twitter.com/nSfvE12JBc

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) October 3, 2024

But it’s difficult to fact-check yourself when faced with criticism. Even if the information is valid, simply saying someone else is wrong isn’t always persuasive.

Both FEMA and the Red Cross seem to have recognized this and are emphasizing the value of trusted third-party messengers. They’re sharing photos, videos, and comments from volunteers, elected officials and those they’re serving, using that credibility to bolster the organization.

FEMA and the Red Cross are also enlisting regular social media users to help combat online conspiracy theories by sharing their information on their feeds and with those posting false information.

Combating misinformation is something no one post or organization can address all on their own. Finding ways to deliver consistent, accurate information across as many channels as possible can help offset at least some of the bad information.

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Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.