Strong statements alone won’t cut it.
AI did not create a misinformation problem. But it has made the problem faster, messier and harder for credible organizations to correct.
This was a challenge facing the American Academy of Family Physicians as false and misleading health claims spread across social media, search and AI tools over the past few years.
Rebecca Fuller, vice president of integrated marketing communications at AAFP, said the organization had dealt with rumors before. But today, AI can take valid information, old news and partial truths and combine them into something that sounds believable but is not fully accurate.
“We didn’t (use to) have digital platforms spreading (information) quite so quickly. We didn’t have technology and tools that made it look and sound quite as believable as it sounds today,” Fuller said during Ragan’s Crisis Communications Virtual Conference.
But the AAFP didn’t combat the problem by publishing more facts when a rumor picked up momentum. It changed who the message came from, how it was framed and where credible information appeared online.
- Find trusted messengers
At first, AAFP leaned on formal statements. Those statements helped the organization go on the record, support its government relations work and show members it was taking action. These messages were also published on the organization’s own website, making the information surface more easily in AI search.
But Fuller said the group realized statements were not enough.
“We no longer rely on these as a tool for really moving the needle,” she said.
So the organization switched from policy-heavy statements to patient-focused resources led by family physicians. It pitched doctors to the media, published blogs written by physicians, created podcast episodes and used social videos to explain vaccines and patient concerns in plain language.
They made family physicians visible messengers because patients still trust their doctors, even when trust in institutions is low, Fuller said.
- Change the language
Fuller said the organization also stopped leaning so heavily on the phrase “evidence based.”
This had long been a standard phrase for medical societies, she said, but in an AI-driven information environment, people can find “evidence” to support almost any position. “Science based” gave AAFP a clearer way to point back to the broader scientific process, not just isolated facts or citations.
AAFP learned that information needs to be clear, consistent and human, not just technically correct, to show up in AI search.
- Build for AI discovery
The organization also updated FamilyDoctor.org, its patient-facing website, so credible information would be easier for search engines and AI tools to find.
Fuller said they hoped to “crowd out a little bit of the false narrative” and help AI tools hallucinate less.
They had to think beyond SEO and consider how AI-powered search surfaces answers. AAFP created content around the questions patients were already asking and the rumors they were already seeing online.
Where can brands use this?
Other brands can also apply these techniques when misinformation hits their industry. Start by identifying the most trusted messenger, not just the highest-ranking executive. Monitor the rumors spreading online. Create content that answers real audience questions. Use plain language. And, lastly, accept that your organization cannot fight every battle.
“We cannot be everywhere,” Fuller said. “We determine where we can affect the most change. We acknowledge that we won’t win them all. And then we let ourselves off the hook when we have to walk away from a battle.”
Visit here to watch the full presentation and learn more about Ragan Training.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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