There is a moment every comms person knows too well. A phone buzzes, a screenshot lands in a WhatsApp group, and suddenly a rumour has already travelled further than the truth. In 2026, that moment arrives faster than ever. A single post can reach thousands of people before a communications team has even put pen to paper to write a holding statement.
We have seen this play out again and again in Ireland over the past few years. Not in abstract global terms, but in very local situations where misinformation filled the silence long before facts were available.
During the fuel protests in April 2026, misinformation spread almost as quickly as the traffic disruption itself. WhatsApp groups and Facebook community pages became the main source of updates, but many of the claims circulating were either exaggerated or completely incorrect. One widely shared post claimed that protesters were planning to block every motorway into Dublin, which was never part of the organisers’ plans. Another rumour insisted that hauliers were preparing to shut down fuel supply nationwide, even though no such action had been announced. A video that circulated on TikTok showing a line of tankers supposedly “abandoning depots in protest” turned out to be footage from a 2021 strike in Brazil. There were also false warnings that Gardaí were about to close the Jack Lynch Tunnel and the Shannon Bridge, which created unnecessary panic for commuters. While there were real delays and some temporary closures, the misinformation travelled faster than the verified updates from Gardaí, local authorities and transport operators. By the time official statements were issued, many people had already acted on the rumours.
COVID brought its own wave of falsehoods. In Ireland, videos of “empty” hospital corridors in places like St James’s were shared to suggest hospitals were under no pressure, even while wards were close to full capacity. Another strand of misinformation focused on vaccines, including a widely circulated claim that the Pfizer vaccine contained graphene oxide, which was later debunked by The Journal’s FactCheck and Media Literacy Ireland. These posts travelled quickly because they were simple, emotional and easy to share, often moving through Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram long before public health teams could respond. Official messaging, which was slower and more cautious by design, struggled to keep pace with that speed.
During the 2023 Dublin riots, misinformation spread almost instantly. False claims about the attacker’s nationality and immigration status circulated within minutes, long before Gardaí confirmed any details. A photo of a man who had no connection to the incident was widely shared as the “suspect”, and a rumour that several children had died in the stabbing was repeated across Telegram and X even though it was untrue. There were also posts claiming that buses and Luas trams had been set on fire in multiple parts of the city when only a small number of vehicles were actually damaged. These narratives took hold quickly and shaped public reaction before verified information was released. Even after Gardaí issued updates, many people never revisited the first version they had seen.
What links all of these examples is the speed at which misinformation moves. Smartphones have turned every bystander into a broadcaster. A single post typed in frustration or fear can outrun a full communications team. Platforms reward what provokes a reaction, not what provides context, and misinformation often gets a head start.
For organisations, this creates a new reality. You no longer have the luxury of waiting to gather all the facts before speaking. If you do not communicate early, misinformation will communicate for you. Silence is now a narrative in itself.
This does not mean rushing out unverified details. It means having the structures in place so you can respond quickly and responsibly. Pre approved holding lines. A clear escalation pathway. Someone monitoring the channels where misinformation actually spreads, which is often not where organisations expect. A spokesperson who can speak calmly when everyone else is reacting emotionally.
The organisations that handle these moments well are the ones who prepare before they need to. They rehearse scenarios. They agree internal roles. They know what they can say immediately, even when details are still emerging. They understand that the first message does not need to be comprehensive. It just needs to be present, factual and human.
Because in Ireland today, a rumour can travel from a private WhatsApp group to a national radio show in under an hour. Outrage moves quickly. Context does not. And in that gap, reputations are shaped.
John FitzGerald is a Senior PR Account Executive with Fuzion, a Brand Communications agency with offices in Dublin and Cork.
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