A fake video or audio clip does not need to be true to do damage. It only needs enough time to spread.If there is one thing that I have realized upon graduating college, it is that navigating deepfake disinformation and AI generated audio and video have completely upended the playbook. We used to have hours or even days to verify a story, draft a response, and coordinate with journalists. Today, a hyper-realistic fake audio clip or fabricated video of a candidate can go viral on social media overnight, forcing campaign teams to manage a full blown crisis before the morning news cycle even starts.
Build Trust Before You Need It
Campaigns should make it easy for voters, reporters, and supporters to know what is real before fake content ever appears. This starts with official, verified digital channels early and proactively branding your content. When people know exactly where to look for verified statements and genuine media, it becomes significantly harder for bad actors to slip convincing fakes into the mainstream conversation.
Do Not Wait to Debunk
Traditional “wait and see” approaches do not work when misinformation is moving quickly online. Sitting back while waiting for a platform to take down fake media gives misinformation hours to spread unchecked across voters’ feeds. Campaign teams need rapid response protocols that allow them to immediately verify authenticity, deploy technical evidence that proves a video is fake, and arm friendly media outlets with clear debunking materials before an accurate or misleading narrative takes root.
Know Who to Call
Building strong relationships with tech platforms and media gatekeepers is essential to cutting off the reach of deepfakes. Political PR strategists need direct lines of communication with trust and safety teams at major social networks, as well as political reporters on the beat who are trained to spot synthetic media. When a deepfake surfaces, having trusted relationships with journalists allows comms teams to quickly flag fakes, preventing credible outlets from reporting on fabricated footage and lending unearned legitimacy to a smear campaign.
Prepare Your Audience
Educating your audience to recognize fake content changes the entire dynamic when an unexpected deepfake drops. If a campaign or organization regularly communicates with its base about how to spot manipulated media and where to verify official news, supporters become the first line of defense against viral misinformation. That preparation allows you to step in with clear, strategic messaging before a deepfake causes lasting damage, moving your team from playing defense to shaping the coverage on your own terms.
The Bottom Line
Deepfakes are a technology problem, but they are also a communications problem.
The campaigns that are best prepared will be the ones that know their message, know their channels, and know how to move quickly when the truth is at risk. In modern political communications, speed matters, but trust matters even more.
-Georgia Brucato, Communications Associate