Rumor is a story or belief that spreads rapidly from person to person. It may be about a celebrity, politician, place of business or something else. The rumors may be positive or negative. They can make or break a company or celebrity and may even be based on fact or fiction. The success of a rumor often depends on how much it satisfies the public desire to believe in it. People often start a rumor because they want to humiliate someone or bring down their image. Others do it out of jealousy or anger. Some rumors have to do with an unresolved conflict, such as the rumor that one of the characters in a movie is gay.
The strength of a rumor also depends on its potential impact on outcomes that people care about, such as the outcome of an election. Foundational scholarship on rumoring has long recognized that uncertainty and the ambiguity of evidence are key factors in the birth and propagation of a rumor (Prasad 1935; Shibutani 1966). People naturally engage in a sensemaking activity to try to resolve these uncertainties, and their efforts can be shaped and exploited by motivated actors.
Another important factor in the strength of a rumor is its appeal to the emotions of the audience. Some rumors are highly evocative and resonate with people because they invoke their fears or anxieties. For example, during the 2004 presidential election, rumors about discarded ballots and rigged voting machines spread quickly because they tapped into people’s fears that their votes would be stolen.
A rumor’s strength is also dependent on how many people participate in its dissemination. The more people who contribute to the spread of a rumor, the more likely it is to go viral. Participation can include resharing the rumor and contributing additional information to its narrative, such as an alternate version of the truth or a personal experience that bolsters a particular claim.
In addition, participation can include shaping the content of a rumor. For example, if a rumor about a new store opening in a neighborhood is true, the business owner can use it to promote his or her store. Likewise, a student can share the rumor about a teacher’s bad behavior with other students, which will then cause that rumor to become a school-wide rumor.
Some rumors do not spread as quickly as others because they lack the necessary ingredients for their success. Researchers have found that a successful rumor often features elements of previously successful ones. This is referred to as a rumor’s “narrative templates,” or tropes, which are recycled with novel elements in order to generate new rumors (Fine & Ellis 2010). For example, a rumor about a celebrity cheating on their partner might reuse story elements from a previous rumor about a famous actor cheating on his or her wife. These recurrent elements provide the basis of a believable and appealing story. The resulting rumor becomes a resonant message that spreads quickly because it is recognizable by the participants.