If there’s one thing you need to know about misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories, from the expert who wrote the definitive modern-era book about those society-altering phenomena, it’s that they occur to fill vacuums of facts, even momentarily, to help shape political narratives, divide society or, more innocently, satisfy human nature, particularly in times of crisis.
For the last week, since the “where were you?” event in Butler, Pennsylvania, we’ve seen it play out in real life for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the apparent lack of regard for public information from federal and state law enforcement. They likely weren’t in synch when the a would-be assassin shot at the former President, but when it comes to collaborating on week of silence, and forming that vacuum, they are clearly on the same page.
A week later, there’s still so much we don’t know about what happened in front of cameras and virtually none of the best practices in public communication have been followed. The official release of basic information to prevent misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories hasn’t been happened. There have been no regular public briefings to answer and demonstrate what is known and what isn’t. What little we know is based on leaks. On social media anyway, journalists are taking the blame, despite leaks and uncovered nuggets of information that can only be provided by journalists.
The blame rests here on law enforcement agencies that, while turning investigations on themselves, should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time and provide answers, or at least acknowledgement, in a public sessions to the most basic questions, such as:
-Was Trump’s ear shot by a bullet, as he says, or hit by fragments of some sort, as multiple reports have indicated?
-What kind of medical treatment did Trump receive?
-Who fired the shots that hit the rally attendees? What is being investigated? Where, on the media-generated (not law enforcement provided) diagrams of the scene were they seated?
-What is the official timeline of events?
I could go on, as I know journalists would if given the opportunity.
It appears the first we’ll hear from law enforcement officials will be in front of Congress – a political circus instead of a professional public briefing. That is wrong.
When we have media trained law enforcement leaders, we have helped reinforce what they already know: They are trusted members of any community and despite what they are doing behind the scenes, they are the valued voices to deliver facts and leadership in times of crisis. In this case, while fingers are being pointed to obvious failures, they are neglecting a primary responsibility.
While this could be a textbook case of what not to do when trying to secure high-profile outdoor events, it should also be a lasting example of why not to avoid communicating in the wake of a crisis.