Reputational risk is no longer confined to headlines or trending topics. It is increasingly shaped in harder-to-monitor spaces – such as private or semi-closed platforms like TikTok and Telegram – where narratives can form, evolve, and spread before organisations are even aware they exist.
What begins as online discourse can quickly move beyond perception. New analysis from Edelman and Osavul shows how these narratives are now closely tied to legal exposure, operational disruption, and physical-world risk. In many cases, they act as early signals of broader challenges – surfacing issues that can trigger regulatory scrutiny, stakeholder action, or real-world consequences.
This reflects a deeper shift. Reputational threats are no longer isolated incidents to be managed by communications teams alone. They are part of a wider risk landscape; one that cuts across legal, security, and operational functions. Yet many organisations remain structured to respond in silos, slowing decision-making at the very moment speed and coordination matter most.
The findings also challenge common assumptions about misinformation. The most effective narratives are rarely entirely false. They often combine selective truths, unresolved issues, and emotionally resonant framing – making them harder to rebut and more likely to influence stakeholder behaviour.
For leaders, this raises a critical question: how prepared is your organisation to detect and respond to risks that emerge outside traditional lines of sight?
Read the full report, authored by Oliver Hayes OBE (EMEA Head of Counter-Disinformation, Edelman), Dave Fleet (Global Head of Digital Crisis, Edelman), and Dmytro Bilash (CBDO & Co-founder, Osavul, to understand what this means in practice and how organisations can better prepare.
Explore the findings
Interested in hearing more? In our latest podcast episode, Oliver Hayes OBE and Dmytro Bilash explore how baseless claims and distorted interpretations of real events can spread rapidly in fragmented digital communities. While most fade within days, a small number can escalate, creating confusion and disruption. Tune in to hear how disinformation and selective framing can reshape perception, erode trust, and cause tangible harm to businesses.