I once worked in the communications department of a large organization and witnessed firsthand how quickly and easily falsehoods can spread online. In one incident, the organization sought to cover the emergence of a significant public figure on the world stage. Little was known about this figure, and everyone scrambled to dig up information about this person’s past and their views on hot-button issues.
In the fight to stand out among the deluge of information and the cacophony of voices online, every outlet wants to be the first to break significant stories—in this case, the first to unearth relevant quotes by the person in question. Credibility, popularity, and—ultimately—money, depend on it.
