South Africa, July 8 -- Whether or not Mark Twain ever said those words is almost irrelevant. The quote has endured because it captures a defining characteristic of the digital age: narratives often arrive long before evidence does.

In my previous article, You Cannot Fact-Check Your Way Out of Outrage, I argued that communications professionals have entered an era where facts alone are no longer enough to restore trust. Outrage travels faster than verification, and by the time institutions respond, public opinion has often moved on.

Today, however, the challenge has evolved. It is no longer simply about the speed at which misinformation spreads, but about who gets to define a country's story before the country has the opportunity to tel...