Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference ―Cambridge Congress of Advanced Studies‖ (April 3-5, 2026) / Publisher website: www.naukainfo.com. - Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2026. - 350 p.

34 under constant informational pressure is directly correlated with its market capitalisation. According to recent global reports, data manipulation and the spread of fake information are now recognised as the number one technological risk, surpassing even cybercrime in terms of threat level. The scale of this problem is confirmed by studies covering more than 120 countries, where disinformation campaigns significantly distort organisational performance outcomes. According to research [2], the economic impact of information manipulation is substantial: annual global losses from the industrialisation of fake reviews and artificially generated content reach USD 417 billion. The use of artificial intelligence technologies further amplifies these negative effects. For businesses, the consequences manifest both directly — through declining sales and customer attrition — and indirectly, through increased legal costs, reputational recovery efforts, and intensified marketing expenditures [3]. The climate of pervasive distrust compels consumers to critically evaluate any official corporate communication. Empirical evidence indicates that in key global markets, a significant share of the population is predisposed to suspect the media environment of manipulation. More than two-thirds of respondents in leading markets — from the UAE (75%) to the United States (63%) — assume that media content may be intentionally misleading. Under such conditions, corporate communication strategy becomes a primary strategic instrument. This environment necessitates a new operational logic — the concept of trust brokering [4]. In the face of disinformation pressures, the enterprise must transform from a one-way transmitter of corporate messages into a reliable mediator that connects diverse stakeholder groups around shared problem-solving processes. Reputation today represents a dynamic asset formed at the intersection of brand identity, actual managerial decisions, and stakeholders‘ subjective perceptions. Reputational attacks, regardless of their origin, systematically undermine stakeholder trust and erode the company‘s brand equity. This necessitates a transition from reactive responses to a proactive system of information risk management as an integral component of corporate strategy.