Blockchain technology: Future directions for Public Relation (PR) Industry in Sierra Leone
To start with, about the same time as blockchain became well-known as the underlying technology behind Bitcoin, the public relations industry emerged. At its core, blockchain technology is a decentralized and distributed ledger system that securely records transactions across multiple computers. Renowned for its security, transparency, and immutability, blockchain creates a permanent and verifiable record of information that anyone with the right permissions can access. Imagine a digital notebook that you can update but never erase — what’s written stays there to be reviewed at any time. Since then, blockchain technology has advanced to the point that it is now capable of revolutionizing the way businesses interact with their suppliers, consumers, and other stakeholders.
It’s possible that some companies have an internal marketing team with experts in both digital and traditional marketing, while others don’t have any resources of this kind at all. At this point in time, there is a requirement for public relations (PR). When it comes to blockchain technology, public relations can be utilized in creative new ways to reach particular populations. In the PR context, blockchain can be instrumental in authenticating information, monitoring communication flows, and ensuring equitable access to data among all stakeholders. This is especially crucial in Sierra Leone, where the PR industry is still maturing and frequently grapples with issues of credibility and misinformation.
The public relations (PR) industry in Sierra Leone stands at a pivotal moment, facing various challenges such as credibility issues, misinformation, and a growing demand for transparency. As the digital landscape continues to reshape industries worldwide, blockchain technology emerges as a beacon of innovation. It presents a unique opportunity for PR professionals in Sierra Leone to enhance their practices, bolster transparency, and rekindle trust within the industry.
Enhancing PR Practices with Blockchain
Verification of Information
Misinformation and fake news are among the most formidable challenges in the PR landscape. In Sierra Leone, where public trust in media is already fragile, the stakes are incredibly high. Here, blockchain technology can be a game changer by establishing a verifiable chain of custody for information. Every press release issued by a company can be recorded and timestamped on a blockchain. This means journalists and the public can verify the authenticity of communications in real-time. By providing proof of origin and authenticity, PR professionals can significantly reduce the risk of misinformation, helping to rebuild confidence in the media and the PR sector.
Enabling Bot Identification and Securing Information Storage
In Sierra Leone, PR agencies could leverage blockchain technology to secure client information, enhancing data protection in a developing digital infrastructure. This commitment to transparency and security is crucial for maintaining public trust. The integration of a BotChain protocol would further benefit Sierra Leone by filtering out bots that distort digital marketing metrics, ensuring that PR efforts focus on genuine human interactions. As Sierra Leone expands its digital presence, combining blockchain and machine learning to validate data could set a precedent for other developing nations, helping the country lead in digital security and informed decision-making in West Africa.
Improve Transparency in Media Relations
Transparency is the lifeblood of effective PR. In Sierra Leone, media outlets often face accusations of bias or accepting bribes for favorable coverage. Blockchain facilitates transparency by creating an immutable record of all interactions between PR professionals and the media. Imagine a blockchain-based system that logs every payment or incentive offered to journalists or media entities. With such a system in place, all transactions become traceable and transparent, curtailing corruption and promoting ethical practices in the industry.
Combating misinformation or ‘false news’
The use of blockchain technology has the potential to play a significant part in the fight against the spread of false information, manipulation and adulterated media. Blockchain technology is inherently transparent and traceable, which enables the real-time capability of tracing the origin of a piece of information and proving its legitimacy. Not only does it foster confidence between PR professionals and the clients they serve, but it also makes it possible to solve issues of crisis management in a timely manner.
In the context of Sierra Leone’s PR and media sectors, blockchain can be instrumental in fact-checking and validating content. Given the challenges of misinformation in the country, especially during elections or public health crises, blockchain could provide a transparent and immutable record of information sources. PR professionals could use blockchain to validate the content they produce, ensuring that it is accurate and trustworthy before it reaches the public. This would enhance the credibility of PR campaigns and help build public trust in the information being disseminated.
Optimizing Quality Control for PR Content
Blockchain technology facilitates quality control by ensuring the authenticity and traceability of PR content. For instance, partnerships in the industry have emerged to create blockchain-based content rights and royalty management systems, similar to projects by Ernst & Young with Microsoft and Sony Electronics for digital rights management. By leveraging blockchain, PR professionals can track content rights and royalties, manage digital rights, and validate news. This technology helps ensure that the quality of content produced for clients is hack-proof and of high integrity.
With the rise of digital media in Sierra Leone, ensuring the authenticity of news content is crucial. Forbes Media’s partnership with Civil to secure its news content using blockchain can serve as a model for Sierra Leonean media outlets. By adopting blockchain, these outlets can protect their content from being altered or misused, which is especially important in an environment where misinformation can have significant social and political impacts. This could lead to a more trustworthy media landscape, where readers can rely on the accuracy of the news they consume.
Enhanced Campaign Tracking and Measurement
One persistent challenge for PR professionals is accurately gauging the success of their campaigns. Traditional methods — often convoluted and time-consuming. With the use of blockchain technology, public relations professionals may track media coverage, provide fresh data points to research, and enhance metrics for campaign performance. To verify whether or not a certain audience member has seen a promotional film or read an article about the brand, public relations teams can employ blockchain technology. The information is organised into “blocks” that can be viewed by anyone. With this strategy, companies are able to track not just the scope of their headlines’ reach across the internet but also the context in which those headlines are displayed.
With the increasing use of social media in Sierra Leone, PR campaigns can leverage blockchain to track and analyze campaign metrics in real-time. This transparency can help PR firms adjust strategies quickly and demonstrate the effectiveness of their campaigns to clients, ultimately leading to more successful and data-driven PR efforts.
Final thoughts
Blockchain technology is transforming public relations by offering transparency, trust, and content control. It tracks media coverage, verifies engagement, and fights misinformation. It’s a valuable asset for PR professionals to enhance their practices and build trust with the media. Journalists in Sierra Leone are struggling to keep up with the influx of pitches they’re receiving from companies using blockchain technology as its popularity grows across several sectors. They are not likely to write about something they do not comprehend, and since most of them do not even know what blockchain is, this is not surprising.
Because of this, businesses that want to get their tales in front of journalists will need to get creative in order to offer their information in a way that will pique people’s interest and win their attention. Blockchain technology itself is not something that can simply be sold like other goods and services. Even today, traditional media has a significant impact on how consumers perceive a brand and its offerings. In fact, studies have shown that people are more likely to believe print news articles than they are to trust social media advertisements. To keep journalists interested in writing about their company and spreading the word about their products, corporations must foster positive connections with the media.
Author
Ivan Prince Benjamin