Rumor is a social phenomenon that can have both positive and negative effects, and is often used for a detrimental effect. For example, political candidates often face rumors about their opponents before an election, and rumors can also tarnish a candidate’s reputation. Rumors also play a role in strategic communication, the process of crafting messages in support of specific organizational goals. These communications are usually focused on governments, militaries, or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). To achieve effective strategic communication, it is important to know how stories are created and circulated.
Rumor bombs can be used to spread public uncertainty about an opponent. They can be anonymous or clearly partisan, and they can spread rapidly in highly developed electronic mediated societies. The source of a rumor bomb can be an anonymous person who is trying to gain political capital from its diffusion. Rumor bombs may be difficult to identify, but they can be extremely effective in political campaigns.
Rumors are stories or statements that circulate without being verified. They are often attributed to a third party, and although they may be true in some cases, they may be false in others. The word rumor comes from the Latin word rumorem, which means “noise.”