Rumor is a kind of social knowledge, something that comes into being in the context of human communication. It is the product of people’s collective efforts to make sense of ambiguous and evolving information, especially when official sources are incentivized to hide information, or the content of official communication is too complex to understand in its entirety. While our means of communication has evolved dramatically since the days of black-and-white television and multiple households sharing one party-line telephone, scholarship on rumor provides critical insights that can inform modern responses. The framework for rumor that we present here could help communications practitioners avoid the misguided response of “refute the rumor” and instead focus on understanding how rumors evolve, their role in communities, and what might be done to support their dissemination.
Some rumors prey on people’s anxieties. These rumors are incredibly powerful because they trigger an emotional reaction in the vast majority of those who hear them. For example, a rumor that says an actor’s marriage is on the rocks because of cheating has a high likelihood of catching on because many people feel like they are in a similar situation as the celebrity.
Another reason why a rumor spreads is that it satisfies a desire for gossip. Gossip is a powerful driver of behavior because it allows us to compare ourselves with others, and it gives us a sense of belonging. Rumors that make you jealous of your friend’s relationship, or a celebrity’s good looks can have strong appeal as they can make you feel connected to a larger group of people who are sharing the same message.
A third reason a rumor gets strong appeal is its credibility. People tend to believe a rumor that is shared by someone they trust, which can give it a feeling of authenticity. This is why it is so important for communications professionals to be cautious about the content they share on social media, or even on their website.
If you want to stop a rumor, first try to figure out who started it. This will usually reveal its origin and can give you a clue to the source’s motivation. If a rumor comes from a big gossiper, or someone who is eager to pass information along, it can be particularly potent.
Finally, if a rumor has an element of truth, you can counter it by sharing the facts. Putting together fact sheets and sharing them with key influencers can slow the spread of a rumor. It also helps to use different terms to describe information: misinformation, or disinformation, might better capture content that is blatantly false; propaganda might better capture concerted campaigns to manipulate the masses. However, the term rumor is useful for describing the most pervasive kind of problematic content. Mislabeling content with these labels can lead to the loss of public trust and thwart progress on consequential issues such as strengthening democracy or addressing disease epidemics. Instead, by recognizing the value of rumor and focusing on the power of community to spread credible information, we can develop more effective responses.