Rumor is a false or uncertain piece of information that can spread from person to person quickly. It is often based on sensational or controversial topics that can cause anxiety or excitement. People will typically engage with a rumor when it is relevant to their lives or could have an impact on outcomes that they care about. The key to the success of a rumor is its combination of familiarity and novelty. Research on rumoring suggests that rumors with high potential for uptake are rooted in existing narrative templates (i.e., tropes) that are reshaped with new elements to become a new story. For example, a rumor about discarded ballots might incorporate an element of plausibility that echoes previous rumors (e.g., discarded ballots might have been found in a ditch).

A rumor will continue to spread and gain momentum when its core claims are supported by evidence. Rumors about a celebrity, politician or place of business often succeed because they provide a credible alternative to the official narrative (Knapp 1990). People may also become emotionally attached to a rumor if it is based on a personal experience that has emotional resonance with them. Alternatively, a rumor can be spread when a group of people is upset with an outcome that is related to the source of the rumor. This can be particularly prevalent when there is a lingering feeling of distrust toward individuals or groups, such as election officials, members of a minority community, poll workers or the media.

In the case of an election, a rumor might be spread when a significant amount of evidence is available to support the claim that votes were stolen or tampered with. This evidence might include photos of voting booths, videos from security cameras or public databases that show voter registration numbers and mailing addresses. It might also include data about a specific location’s voting process or the timing of a specific vote count. This information is available to anyone with access to the Internet and can easily be reshaped and shared by those who wish to create a rumor.

Despite the availability of this type of evidence, it is still common for a rumor to spread, even pengeluaran sgp when the underlying facts are inaccurate. It is important to note that rumors do not spread themselves; they are spread through social networks by the participants. People can participate in spreading a rumor by adding new evidence, framing and interpreting the underlying evidence, connecting related rumors into broader narratives and even correcting false claims. This active participation is known as participation and contributes to the continued uptake of a rumor even when the original details are distorted. This is one reason that rumoring is so difficult to stop. As a result, it is critical that organizations have efficient processes for communicating verified information to their workforces. Otherwise, wild rumors might dominate their corporate culture.