Guest editorial
| Pages | 1-4 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-02-2020-121 |
| Published date | 03 February 2020 |
| Date | 03 February 2020 |
| Author | Jo Smedley |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Guest editorial
Global information integrity: an overview
A lot has happened during the past 50years. The internet has empowered the universal
accessibility of informationand has enhanced the ability of everyone to create it. In addition,
it has enabled and widened access to products and services in a matter of seconds. Amidst
this innovation, there are examples of information abuse where details are manipulated
causing users to question what is real and what is fake. Hence, there is a greater need to
validate information with the resulting fundamental problem of information reliability
(Smedley, 2018).
This special issue of Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication is concerned with
innovation and developments in information integrity, as it relates to global knowledge,
communicationand world memory. Encompassingtwo viewpoint articles and six discussion
papers, it considers the extent to which there is a need for acceptance and a shared
understandingof the need for “Global informationintegrity”.
What is information integrity?
We live in the information age with ease of access to massive amounts of information
enabled through technological developments. As information is consumed through wider,
quicker and more diverse approaches, integrity is increasingly important with more
emphasis on its trustworthiness and dependability and with a focus on the accuracy,
consistency and reliability of information content, and its processes and systems.
Information integrity is also a prerequisite for many management decisions and is an
important element of successthroughout the information world (Oxford English Dictionary,
2018). Information with a lower level of trust associated with it represents a personal or
organisational risk with potential limitations on the overall impact of business success and
organisational health. Disinformation and information warfare pose a significant immense
threat to information integrity with the deliberate spreading of false material to negatively
influence public opinion and obscure truth. As an important element of modern-day
democracy, it is vital that information generated regarding global developments maintains
its reliability in currencyand value within its various audiences.
So should organisations care about information integrity?
In the highly digital and connected age that we live in, information integrity is an
increasingly important part of corporate and brand social responsibility. Organisations and
business are pivotal as creators and gatekeepers of information. However, accessibility
brings responsibility withit. Often, social responsibilityin organisations involvessupporting
a cause or having a designated charity where a percentage of their proceeds go. Today’s
customer is an emotional buyer and decision-maker. They take reputation and trust into
account before deciding who do business with. With social media and a 24-7 information
cycle, brands at the centre of controversies, whether true or false, quickly become major
headlines and gain social publicity. Narratives, whether authentic or manufactured, can
spread virally and further influence feelings about a brand. Disinformation plays a
dangerous rolein influencing audiences. Hence,it is important to ensure that the information
and narrativessurrounding brands arehonest and accurate.
Guest editorial
1
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.69 No. 1/2, 2020
pp. 1-4
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-02-2020-121
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