Weber Shandwick Launches Media Security Center to Address Emerging Information Threats

- 87% of Executives Say the Spread of Disinformation is One of the Greatest Reputational Risks for Businesses Today, According to Global Research -

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Weber Shandwick

Sep 23, 2021, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Weber Shandwick Media Security Center is an industry leading, cross-disciplinary team with AI-driven technology at its core, built to address what the overwhelming majority of executives say is one of the leading reputation issues businesses faces today – the spread of disinformation.

"As malicious content becomes more pervasive and more sophisticated, it presents an increasingly material reputational and commercial threat," said Gail Heimann, CEO, Weber Shandwick. "The Weber Shandwick Media Security Center team works to understand the influence of questionable content on the attitudes and behaviors of customers, employees and other stakeholders. And, building on an already world class crisis and issues practice, aims and to better anticipate, manage and mitigate those threats."

The Weber Shandwick Media Security Center is powered by insights from some of the leading institutions combating misinformation and disinformation and an exclusive partnership with threat detection platform, Blackbird.AI. The Media Security Center is designed to help clients navigate a volatile media landscape with bespoke solutions that protect reputations and commercial interests.

Manipulated media is no longer just a reputational concern – it is now a financial, employee and organizational security concern, notes Peter Duda, head of Weber Shandwick's Global Crisis and Issues Management Practice. "We are currently working with clients in healthcare, government, technology and CPG as they battle a potentially harmful information landscape littered with bot created content, artificial distribution and erroneous stories that often spread undetected until they're unmanageable."

Beyond solutions, the Weber Shandwick Media Security Center offers immersive education and training sessions to help executives and marketing and communications teams become well-versed in how information and misinformation spreads. In addition, it will convene leading industry voices, including Blackbird.AI, influence operations researchers such as Renee DiResta, and top research and development centers including MIT's Center for Constructive Communication, to provide the latest in-depth insights and implications.

"The best practices of the Weber Shandwick Media Security Center are built on the bedrock of deep issues management, analytics, policy and media expertise," said Chris Perry, Chief Innovation Officer, Weber Shandwick. "But the complexity of today's challenges – for example, synthetic content that erodes confidence in media – requires increasingly sophisticated technology to power that expertise."

Blackbird.AI Partnership Provides Exclusive Access to AI-Driven Threat Detection Technology 

Recently recognized as a Forrester "Top Threat Intelligence Company," Blackbird.AI's proprietary, AI-driven technology provides deep contextual awareness, threat detection and future narrative identification to help organizations detect and combat disinformation as it occurs.

"Given the ever expanding risks associated with information driven threats, the level of corporate preparedness needs to be more technologically advanced than those seeking to drive harm," said Wasim Khaled, CEO and co-founder, Blackbird.AI. "The Media Security Center's approach to addressing complex evolving problems for brands and organizations integrates with Blackbird's AI-Driven Intelligence Platform, empowering rapid triaging of previously unseen threats before they cause massive damage."

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications network that delivers next-generation solutions to brands, businesses and organizations in major markets around the world. Led by world-class strategic and creative thinkers and activators, we have won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry. Weber Shandwick was named to Ad Age's Agency A-List in 2020 and Best Places to Work in 2019. Weber Shandwick was also honored as PRovoke's Global Agency of the Decade in 2020 and PRWeek's Global Agency of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The firm has earned more than 135 Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Data-led, with earned ideas at the core, the agency deploys leading and emerging technologies to inform strategy, develop critical insights and heighten impact across sectors and specialty areas, including brand and B2B marketing, healthcare marketing, change management, employee engagement, corporate reputation, crisis management, data and analytics, technology, public affairs, social impact and financial communications. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com

About Blackbird.AI

Blackbird.AI helps organizations detect and respond to disinformation and manipulation that causes reputational and financial harm. Powered by their exclusive AI-Driven Constellation Platform, Fortune 500s and governments can proactively manage new information risks that were previously undetectable. Blackbird was founded by a team of experts from artificial intelligence, behavioral psychology and national security, with a mission to defend authenticity and fight narrative manipulation. Recognized by Forrester as a "Top Threat Intelligence Company", the Blackbird Risk Index™(BRI) is an industry benchmark in the reputation enhancement space. For additional information, please visit www.blackbird.ai

Contact: Jill Tannenbaum
Company: Weber Shandwick
Phone: 212-546-7815
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Weber Shandwick