Communication Tools
Combating False Rumors and Stubborn Urban Legends
How is it that unfounded rumors spread and outrageous urban legends refuse to die?
The December 2008 issue of Psychology Today takes a fresh look at this familiar topic in an article that offers valuable insights for crisis managers – or anyone else in the uncomfortable position of trying to squelch a troublesome rumor.
Not surprisingly, author Taylor Clark concludes that rumors feed on human emotion. Verifiable facts, and even simple common sense, have little or nothing to do with the way a rumor spreads. Even the smartest people are easy prey. Utterly improbable urban legends persist even though they can be easily disproven. And, of course, once an urban legend finds its way to the Web, it lives forever.
Even more disturbing, the article posits that the news media, even though it has a professional charge to get to the truth quickly, is just as prone to fall for a crazy rumor and is often eager to spread it far and wide. Just look at what happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Wild stories about roving gangs of killers stalking the Superdome and terrorists blowing up levees were routinely reported as fact. In some cases it took weeks for the truth to emerge. To this day there are people who aren’t convinced, and probably never will be.
Wild rumors tend to spread more quickly and last longer if they fit with our existing expectations and prejudices. The Psychology Today article cites the fast-moving Internet rumor that the government was dropping the phrase “In God We Trust” from new dollar coins. Someone who is already worried that Beltway elitists are steering the country straight to hell might be inclined to take the story at face value, never bothering to notice that the familiar and comforting “In God We Trust” has simply been moved to the edge of the coin.
As the article observes, when we hear over and over again that a rumor is false, we are actually more inclined to believe it true. Repetition makes the false rumor more memorable. Worse, the longer an urban legend persists, the more we are inclined to accept it as true and the less likely we are to question where it came from. Just look at how hard it continues to be for Proctor & Gable to manage the urban legend that their century old “man in the moon” trademark is the work of a secret satanic cult.
The lesson is that what people feel usually matters far more than what they know. The weight of factual evidence, no matter how compelling, counts for very little against the fears and anxieties that shape how most people, most of the time, perceive the world around them. Only by understanding and appreciating this troublesome aspect of human nature can we hope to counter wild rumors with hard facts.
The article concludes with some sound advice that crisis managers should take to heart:
• If a rumor happens to be true, don’t try to deny it. Especially in today’s globally interconnected information environment, no one’s credibility can survive that sort of exposure.
• If the rumor is not true, don’t hesitate to deny it. Just remember that an overly aggressive defense can easily send the opposite message. A denial that is out of proportion to the rumor can easily suggest that the lady doth protest too much.
• Use credible third parties to refute the rumor. Messages delivered by independent spokespersons usually carry more weight than those delivered by interested parties.
• Be specific. Refute the rumor point-by-point, but always frame your refutation positively. Don’t talk about what isn’t, only talk about what is. Never repeat the allegation unless it is absolutely necessary to put your refutation in context.
The December 2008 issue of Psychology Today takes a fresh look at this familiar topic in an article that offers valuable insights for crisis managers – or anyone else in the uncomfortable position of trying to squelch a troublesome rumor.
Not surprisingly, author Taylor Clark concludes that rumors feed on human emotion. Verifiable facts, and even simple common sense, have little or nothing to do with the way a rumor spreads. Even the smartest people are easy prey. Utterly improbable urban legends persist even though they can be easily disproven. And, of course, once an urban legend finds its way to the Web, it lives forever.
Even more disturbing, the article posits that the news media, even though it has a professional charge to get to the truth quickly, is just as prone to fall for a crazy rumor and is often eager to spread it far and wide. Just look at what happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Wild stories about roving gangs of killers stalking the Superdome and terrorists blowing up levees were routinely reported as fact. In some cases it took weeks for the truth to emerge. To this day there are people who aren’t convinced, and probably never will be.
Wild rumors tend to spread more quickly and last longer if they fit with our existing expectations and prejudices. The Psychology Today article cites the fast-moving Internet rumor that the government was dropping the phrase “In God We Trust” from new dollar coins. Someone who is already worried that Beltway elitists are steering the country straight to hell might be inclined to take the story at face value, never bothering to notice that the familiar and comforting “In God We Trust” has simply been moved to the edge of the coin.
As the article observes, when we hear over and over again that a rumor is false, we are actually more inclined to believe it true. Repetition makes the false rumor more memorable. Worse, the longer an urban legend persists, the more we are inclined to accept it as true and the less likely we are to question where it came from. Just look at how hard it continues to be for Proctor & Gable to manage the urban legend that their century old “man in the moon” trademark is the work of a secret satanic cult.
The lesson is that what people feel usually matters far more than what they know. The weight of factual evidence, no matter how compelling, counts for very little against the fears and anxieties that shape how most people, most of the time, perceive the world around them. Only by understanding and appreciating this troublesome aspect of human nature can we hope to counter wild rumors with hard facts.
The article concludes with some sound advice that crisis managers should take to heart:
• If a rumor happens to be true, don’t try to deny it. Especially in today’s globally interconnected information environment, no one’s credibility can survive that sort of exposure.
• If the rumor is not true, don’t hesitate to deny it. Just remember that an overly aggressive defense can easily send the opposite message. A denial that is out of proportion to the rumor can easily suggest that the lady doth protest too much.
• Use credible third parties to refute the rumor. Messages delivered by independent spokespersons usually carry more weight than those delivered by interested parties.
• Be specific. Refute the rumor point-by-point, but always frame your refutation positively. Don’t talk about what isn’t, only talk about what is. Never repeat the allegation unless it is absolutely necessary to put your refutation in context.
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