De-Risking Against Weaponization of News in Latin America
Misinformation and disinformation represent major challenges for news media organizations in 2024. Specifically, in Latin America, Companies should think about risk mitigation strategies to prevent them from becoming the “bullet” of weaponized news.
It seems ironic that in the peak of the “Information Age,” misinformation and disinformation are such a significant threat. According to The Global Risks Report 2024, which captures insights from nearly 1,500 experts, “misinformation and disinformation” will emerge as the most severe global risk over the next two years.[1] The report, published by the World Economic Forum, concludes that “foreign and domestic actors alike will leverage misinformation and disinformation to further widen societal and political divides.”
This risk certainly applies across the Americas in 2024, where key elections are set to take place in Mexico and the United States. The incentives are aligned for the widespread use of misinformation and a propagation of the tools used to disseminate it. Although this identified risk is focused on foreign nations that try influence the internal political dynamics of other countries, this risk certainly applies at the national level as well, with the use of misinformation and disinformation to influence domestic politics becoming ever more prevalent.
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Historically, “newspapers of record” have been the local gatekeepers of misinformation and disinformation. Newspapers such as The New York Times, Reforma, Clarín, El Espectador or Folha de S. have all played a crucial role in controlling the dissemination of fake news, providing a highly curated news platform that restricted the publication of false statements or information.
Unfortunately, news media organizations in Latin America are operating in a society that already suffers from a growing distrust of information, and their unique position to reduce the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation has become limited.
News media organizations face challenges of their own to maintain their standing as gatekeepers because journalism has radically changed. Across Latin America, magazines and newspapers are struggling to survive or closing, as they see their revenues decreasing and their readership looking for information elsewhere. As a result, newsrooms throughout the region are suffering from a significant reduction of journalists whose skills are needed to generate and present relevant and objective information.
The challenging environment for news media organizations is not reducing the spread of misinformation and disinformation but, in a way, contributing to the “weaponization of news.”
The challenging environment for news media organizations is not reducing the spread of misinformation and disinformation but, in a way, contributing to the “weaponization of news,” that is, when false or inaccurate information is reported and packaged to appear as legitimate and used to sow divisiveness that could lead to real-world harm.
Speaking with editors and reporters across the information ecosystem in Latin America reveals that, in many newsrooms, the traditional standards of objective reporting are being replaced by a more “militant” form of journalism. Readers and sponsors of the newspapers alike are demanding not objective reporting, but rather news with a political viewpoint that resonates with their particular audiences.
How Does the Current News Media Landscape Affect Corporate Communications?
The answer depends on the nature of the information that a company is trying to convey. If the information is traditional marketing or commercial, then there are minimal risks involved. The situation radically changes when there is substantive information about a significant milestone (i.e. litigation, M&A, infrastructure or energy projects, etc.). In brief, substantive information should trigger companies to prepare a risk mitigation strategy so they don’t become the “bullet” in the weaponization of news about or pertaining to them.
Given the highly polarized political situation in Latin American countries, 2024 will not be the year where news “without fear or favor” returns to center stage and publishers rethink their editorial decisions. On the contrary, 2024 will be the year where newsrooms turn into war rooms. Weaponized news is the ammunition in a battle across the political spectrum, and companies can easily be caught in the crossfire.
2024 will be the year where newsrooms turn into war rooms and where companies can easily be caught in the crossfires of weaponized news.
Even with the challenges and risks described above, it is important to highlight that traditional news organizations still play a very important role in politics across Latin America. For example, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador regularly questions stories from traditional media outlets, and even dedicates a weekly section entitled “Who’s who in lying,” where reporters and media outlets are criticized for being part of the “Power Mafia.”[2,3]
The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has waged a comparable conflict with traditional media outlets, particularly with Semana magazine,[4] and President Javier Milei of Argentina has followed a similar playbook against El Clarín.
Still, there are reasons for optimism in 2024, specifically regarding the consolidation of regional media outlets that have flourished in Latin America and will play a significant role in the reduction of propagation of misinformation and disinformation. Regional outlets such as Bloomberg Línea and Infobae, as well as foreign correspondents from major media organizations – including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, El País and DW News – are playing an increasingly significant role, and steadily becoming the regional and international information gatekeepers.
Substantive information originating from reputable sources have higher chances of avoiding major distortions when disseminated.
Coverage by objective regional and international media outlets are having a significant impact on corporate communications because they operate within a less politicized and polarized ecosystem and where objectivity can be more easily achieved. Therefore, substantive information can be conveyed with lesser risk of becoming a “political football,” and the information that originates from these reputable sources have higher chances of avoiding major distortions when cascaded to local media outlets.
Our Takeaway
The relevance of regional outlets clearly demonstrates that there remains an enduring informed audience demanding credible sources that provide less politically charged information.[5] As Infobae was founded in 2002 while El Universal’s history stretches back to1916, it is evident that both traditional sources and modern digital channels have a major role to play in the future of news coverage in Latin America. Another example is Argentina. In 2022, Infobae has 23.5 million unique users versus 22.1 million unique users for Clarín according to Comscore.[6]
To make things even more complicated, 2024 is the true dawn of Artificial Intelligence, which will play an increasingly significant role in the spread of disinformation and misinformation. Companies must prepare to mitigate this new risk that makes it difficult for anyone, even journalists, to determine the accuracy of information. Buckle up for the ride.
[1] “Global Risk Report 2024,” The World Economic Forum (January 10, 2024), https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2024/
[2] Stephen Engelberg, “Mexican President López Obrador Called Our Story “Slander” and Our Reporter a “Pawn.” Here Are Some Facts,” ProPublica (February 9, 2024), https://www.propublica.org/article/mexican-president-lopez-obrador-called-our-story-slander-and-our-reporter-a-pawn-here-are-some-facts
[3] León Krauze, “AMLO vs. ‘Fake New’,” Slate (March 14, 2019), https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/03/amlo-lopez-obrador-mexico-media-criticism-reforma.html
[4] “Colombia: President Petro Denounces Semana Magazine’s False Accusations of Money Hoarding,” Orinoco Tribune (June 16, 2023), https://orinocotribune.com/colombia-president-petro-denounces-semana-magazines-false-accusations-of-money-hoarding/
[5] “Comscore 2023: El Financiero returns to the podium of the most read media in Mexico,” El Financiero (September 29, 2023), https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/nacional/2023/09/29/comscore-2023-el-financiero-regresa-al-podio-de-medios-mas-leidos-en-mexico/
[6] “Infobae Closed 2022 Leading the Comscore Ranking of Digital Sites,” TotalMedios (January 27, 2023), https://www.totalmedios.com/nota/51532/infobae-cerro-el-2022-liderando-el-ranking-de-sitios-digitales-de-comscore
Jorge Padilla
Managing Director, Mexico Public Affairs
Jorge Padilla is a Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting, specializing in public affairs, government, and media relations across several industries, including energy, industrials, and infrastructure. He previously served as Deputy Editor-In-Chief of Mexico’s leading newspaper REFORMA, and co-led MURAL Newspaper in Guadalajara.
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FTI Consulting advises companies doing business across Latin America to navigate the stakeholder dynamics around high profile corporate events, from transactions and market entry to crisis, disputes and litigation. We help clients anticipate critical political, policy and reputational risks and effectively overcome them, unlocking long term opportunity. Our Latin America practice works in a coordinated manner through our offices in Mexico City, Bogotá, and São Paulo, as well as with our teams in Washington D.C., Brussels, Madrid, Houston, Miami, and other important hubs. Through our vast network of strategic partners, we have coverage on all Latin American countries.
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