ICCO President: We must help shape the information society rather than be shaped by it

Massimo Moriconi:

Today, the PR and communications profession stands at a turning point.

In recent years, our industry has stepped far beyond the walls of clients’ boardrooms. The fundamentals of PR — relationships, trust, and credible information — can place us at the heart of the broader information society.

At ICCO, we’ve embraced this shift. We’ve been working alongside institutions, fact-checkers, media, universities, AI innovators, and trusted advertising networks to understand how our discipline can create meaningful impact in a world defined by geopolitical uncertainty, disinformation, polarization, and global reputational fragility.

Because the reality is this: PR now sits at the center of some of society’s most urgent challenges.

And our role is to strengthen the connective tissue between organizations and their stakeholders — across paid, earned, shared, and owned channels — grounded in doing what is right and in empowering knowledge frameworks that help people make informed decisions.

To keep our discipline healthy, we must help shape the information society rather than be shaped by it. Let me share a few examples of what this looks like in practice.

First: Paid media.

Programmatic advertising can unintentionally fund disinformation. Algorithms might prioritize efficiency and reach over content quality.  The opportunity here is to strengthen collaboration with Trusted Ad Networks and Insist on greater transparency in programmatic advertising platforms to know exactly where ads are being displayed and how budgets are allocated. This can allow the Implementation overtime of Blocklists and Allowlists to avoid placing ads on misleading websites.

Second: Earned media.

We’re seeing AI-generated “experts” offering fabricated commentary to journalists. PR professionals can work with fact-checkers and newsrooms to verify sources and strengthen media literacy. More broadly, agencies can educate audiences and clients on how earned media works — including the implications of paywalls and clickbait dynamics. Collaboration with reputable publications and institutions can facilitate the truth has a wide-reaching platform.

Third: Shared media.

Social platforms can influence polarization, mis- and disinformation, and might be developed on addictive design. Our industry must have a voice on moderation policies, algorithmic transparency, and platform accountability. Last year, ICCO surveyed its members after some social platforms ended partnerships with fact-checking networks. Eighty-two percent opposed that decision. And as governments and regulators worldwide introduce — or consider — new rules on age restrictions and digital education for young people’s use of social media, ICCO is launching a global consultation to develop a dedicated whitepaper for institutions and regulators.

Fourth: Owned media.

AI offers enormous potential — but only if used responsibly. Agencies must verify sources, check accuracy, and collaborate with trusted third parties when needed. And as search evolves from SEO to GEO, all forms of search become a frontline in reputation management, and we must work with AI providers, search engines, and institutions to ensure truth can surface before falsehoods take hold.

Across all these areas, every collaboration our industry builds with trusted stakeholders in the information society is a chance to share best practices and learn from others. This exchange of knowledge shapes ICCO, informs our clients, and inspires the next generation of PR professionals.

And this isn’t theoretical. ICCO has taken bold, tangible steps:

• The Media Information and Education Pledge in partnership with the Council of Europe, The Trust Project, AMEC, EACD, EUPRERA, GWPR
• Collaboration with multiple fact-checking entities
• Our partnership with UNDP on the “Weather Kids” climate campaign
• The Warsaw Declaration on ethical AI use
• The Global Disinformation Handbook for Communicators
• The Future PR International Student Competition in partnership with EUPRERA

These initiatives reflect our commitment to working with trusted external partners to build knowledge that redefines how we engage, protect reputations, and measure impact. 

Our role in the information society is more urgent than ever. There is so much at stake and so much to strive for. Let’s leverage our fundamentals to push beyond our discipline. Let’s learn from those outside our field. And let’s do our best work — for our clients, our people and our communities.

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Massimo Moriconi is President, ICCO