✅ Why organisations must confront the dark side of strategic communication
The modern media environment enables your organisation’s narrative not just to be hijacked but weaponised. Here’s what you can do about it.
A new research paper, Communication Hijacking: Strategic Communication Gone Dark, by Miriam Hautala, Vilma Luoma-aho and Jason C. Brown, introduces a term we’re almost certainly going to hear more of in the coming months: communication hijacking.
This isn’t your typical social media backlash or hashtag gone rogue. It’s deliberate and coordinated. It’s designed to strip organisations of control over their message. Think of it as weaponised brandjacking. It’s aggressive, strategic and aimed at maximum reputational damage.
The paper includes several case studies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Finnish government launched a national health campaign promoting masks, testing, and public health apps. Within days, a counter-campaign called ‘The People’s Five Tips’ emerged, mimicking the design and language, but pushing anti-mask rhetoric and distrust in official guidance. It spread like wildfire, online and offline overwhelming the official messaging.
What the research finds
Communication hijacking is a product of bad actors taking advantage of the media environment.
Communication hijacking is escalating, driven by AI, deepfakes and a hyper-polarised online ecosystem.
It’s more than disinformation. It’s targeted, malicious manipulation of existing brand assets, messages and campaigns.
Organisations are exposed when messaging is vague, crisis communication is underdeveloped or digital assets aren’t protected.
Once hijacked, your message is used against you. No amount of rebuttal will get it back.
Why this matters
The media landscape has changed. Speed, scale, and sophistication now favour activists. Your organisation risks losing its narrative to actors who actively want to harm you.
This isn’t about a clumsy campaign or a gaffe. It’s about losing control of your story and with it the trust that underpins your licence to operate.
What you can do about it
The authors set out a playbook to tackle communication hijacking:
Treat hijacking as a strategic risk
This is a security issue and not just a communication risk. The communication function must work alongside cybersecurity, threat intelligence and public policy.Plan for hijacks before they happen
Prepare through scenario planning, rapid response playbooks and digital asset protection.Make the information environment your job
Track narratives. Monitor threats. Build situational awareness. Don’t wait to be caught off guard.Build narrative resilience
A clear purpose, consistent tone, and recognisable voice help your audience spot fakes and stick with the real you.
This paper is both a warning and a call to arms. The ability to communicate with clarity and control is no longer a given. It’s a contested space. And unless organisations adapt, they’ll find themselves outpaced by bad actors.
I’m heading to Denmark and Sweden this week and then on to the EUPRERA Annual Congress at Lund University. Please say hello if you are attending the conference.
Have a great week ahead.
Management
🌍 GLOBAL PRESSURE: A research report published by The PR Network about international public relations reports on a discipline under pressure - small teams stretched across time zones, crises and cultures - yet delivering strategic value. A webinar next week promises actionable tools to help managers build human-centric, globally attuned communications functions. Source: The PR Network.
🕊️ CANDOUR CALL: The Hillsborough Law, formally the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, introduces a legal duty for public officials, including public relations practitioners working with public bodies, to act with transparency and integrity, or risk criminal charges. Communicators must scrutinise messaging, challenge unethical directives, and ensure their work complies with this new standard of public accountability. Source: Under Pressure.
Media
📺 MEDIA VISIBILITY: Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has warned that public service media is “fighting to be seen and heard” and pledged to legislate for its prominence on platforms such as YouTube. She called for collaboration to safeguard trusted news, counter disinformation, and ensure the BBC and broader media landscape remain relevant, inclusive and resilient for the future. Source: HM Government.
📰 SUBSTACK MOMENT: Substack has surged ahead of traditional publishers in global, US and UK rankings, driven by a nearly threefold rise in UK engagement. Its success signals a shift towards writer-led, niche content platforms where audiences value direct, trusted voices over legacy brands. Source: Press Gazette.
Artificial Intelligence
📚 CHART CLIMBER: Mine and Ben Verinder’s forthcoming book on AI for Public Relations briefly cracked Amazon’s Top 20 PR titles in pre-sales last week, more than six months ahead of its May 2026 release. The project, developed with Kogan Page, explores the intersection of AI, organisational strategy, and public discourse thanks to an all-star roster of industry contributors. Source: Amazon.
🔍 GEO DEBATE: The comms industry is split on GEO: some call it snake oil, others see a disruptive opportunity shift. While no one fully understands how LLMs form answers, that’s no reason to sit on our hands. Practitioners never wait for perfect data before acting; we work with patterns, instincts and insights. Treat GEO the same way: explore, experiment, and guide clients based on what we do know. Source: PR Moment.
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