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Organised lying and professional legitimacy: public relations’ accountability in the disinformation debate

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  • Edwards, Lee

Abstract

The role of the public relations industry in the disinformation debate has been largely overlooked, while an emphasis has been put on the responsibilities of platforms, media organisations and audiences to monitor content and eliminate fake news. In contrast, this article argues that disinformation and fake news are well-established tools in public relations work and are implicated in the current crisis. Drawing on an exploratory study of UK industry publications about fake news and disinformation, the article shows that public relations has addressed disinformation as a commercial opportunity and a platform for demonstrating professional legitimacy. Industry narratives position professional practice as ethical, trustworthy and true, while simultaneously ‘othering’ dubious practices and normalising ‘organised lying’. The article concludes by arguing that the fight against disinformation must take seriously the impact of public relations, if it is to be effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Edwards, Lee, 2020. "Organised lying and professional legitimacy: public relations’ accountability in the disinformation debate," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 106161, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:106161
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/106161/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hunt Allcott & Matthew Gentzkow, 2017. "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election," NBER Working Papers 23089, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Aronczyk, Melissa, 2018. "Public Relations, Issue Management, and the Transformation of American Environmentalism, 1948–1992," Enterprise & Society, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(4), pages 836-863, December.
    3. Hunt Allcott & Matthew Gentzkow, 2017. "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(2), pages 211-236, Spring.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    disinformation; Hannah Arendt; organised lying; professional legitimacy; public relations; SAGE;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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