FACT: Have we seen one of the top PR stunts of 2025 already?
Ben Ormsby, Senior Consultant
Only two weeks in to 2025 and Channel 4 show the power of newsjacking and clever wordplay
A new year has rolled around and we’re preparing our regular trends of the year piece, which got me looking back at what we said 12 months ago. In a previous blog we highlighted that one of the key trends for the year would be a greater need for fact-checking, and unsurprisingly, I think this trend is one which will need to continue.
However, while myself and comms colleagues both at Aberfield and beyond will always espouse that it’s important to be able to separate fact from fiction, last week one social media business decided to take a different approach, I’m talking about you Meta!
So in the wake of the news that Meta was abandoning the use of independent fact checkers for both Facebook and Instagram what do you do? Well one media company saw an opportunity to highlight how its programming will always look to tell it to you straight with some top class news jacking.
Last Friday Channel 4, the public service broadcaster known for not being afraid to think outside the box, decided to demonstrate the importance of facts and highlight that its news arm, which we’re proud to call neighbours (they’re based just over the River in Brewery Wharf) will always ensure accuracy.
To do this the team took a mobile billboard to Meta HQ in London which simply read: “We fact check the Zuck out of our news.”
First off a hat tip to the countless people involved and credit to Katie Jackson for the pic.
It’s safe to say that this simple act and clever play on Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s name is brilliant. In fact, I’m willing on the 14th day of January to put it in my list of favourite PR stunts of 2025.
But on a serious note, as we prepare for another year, it’s important for all businesses, communications professionals and society in general to remember to check the facts. From events in Southport to Elon Musk’s most recent outbursts, misinformation can quite quickly do a lot of harm to a brand or reputation. But if you’re looking to up your communications game and deliver a positive influence to your customers, potential partners or just the market more broadly, then get in touch via hello@aberfield.com to start having a conversation with one of our team.
