Rumour

Other Names:

Rumour-mongering
Unfounded conflicting stories

Nature:

A rumor (American English), or rumour (British English; see spelling differences; derived from Latin rumorem 'noise'), is "a tall tale of explanations of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern."

In the social sciences, a rumor involves a form of a statement whose veracity is not quickly or ever confirmed. In addition, some scholars have identified rumor as a subset of propaganda. Sociology, psychology, and communication studies have widely varying definitions of rumor.

Rumors are also often discussed with regard to misinformation and disinformation (the former often seen as simply false and the latter seen as deliberately false, though usually from a government source given to the media or a foreign government).

Incidence:

Rumours are highly influential in determining buying and selling patterns on financial markets. Professional investors and speculators rely primarily on rumours in anticipation of hard facts. For them perceptions are more important than reality. Professional traders, communicating instantaneously around the world, are central to the spread of rumours vital to the stability of the global financial system. They must act on rumours or lose their competitive advantage.

In 1996 in Colombia, a panic was caused by a Christian fundamentalist rumour that the Antichrist was arriving and would mark or remove any unbaptized children.

The Internet has become the prime medium for the circulation of rumours on every conceivable subject, notably with regard to conspiracy theories.

Broader Problems:

Unethical practices in communication

Narrower Problems:

Rumour-mongering by scientists

About the Encyclopedia

The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential is a unique, experimental research work of the Union of International Associations. It is currently published as a searchable online platform with profiles of world problems, action strategies, and human values that are interlinked in novel and innovative ways. These connections are based on a range of relationships such as broader and narrower scope, aggravation, relatedness and more. By concentrating on these links and relationships, the Encyclopedia is uniquely positioned to bring focus to the complex and expansive sphere of global issues and their interconnected nature.

The initial content for the Encyclopedia was seeded from UIA’s Yearbook of International Organizations. UIA’s decades of collected data on the enormous variety of association life provided a broad initial perspective on the myriad problems of humanity. Recognizing that international associations are generally confronting world problems and developing action strategies based on particular values, the initial content was based on the descriptions, aims, titles and profiles of international associations.

About UIA

The Union of International Associations (UIA) is a research institute and documentation centre, based in Brussels. It was established in 1907, by Henri la Fontaine (Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1913), and Paul Otlet, a founding father of what is now called information science.

Non-profit, apolitical, independent, and non-governmental in nature, the UIA has been a pioneer in the research, monitoring and provision of information on international organizations, international associations and their global challenges since 1907.

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Rumour

About the Encyclopedia

About UIA