Disasters, disease outbreaks, accidents and violent incidents all create the same conditions. The event matters to people, information is incomplete, and fear runs high. These are exactly the conditions in which rumours thrive. The World Health Organization calls the flood of true and false information during a health emergency an infodemic.
Agencies cannot stop rumours, but they can limit the harm. This checklist brings together lessons from crisis communication practice, including the US CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) framework and research on misinformation.
Before the crisis
- Assign roles. Decide in advance who monitors rumours, who decides on responses and who can approve public statements quickly.
- Build trusted channels. Official accounts, a website section that can be updated in minutes, SMS alerts, partnerships with local media and community leaders.
- Map likely rumours. Past crises in your area and sector show what usually circulates: casualty figures, causes, blame, miracle cures, scams.
- Prepare templates for common situations, including “what we know / what we don’t know yet / what we are doing / what you should do”.
- Prebunk predictable claims. Tell people in advance what scams and manipulation to expect, for example fake donation appeals after disasters.
- Agree on thresholds for when a rumour requires a public response.
During the crisis: monitor
- Monitor systematically: social platforms, messaging groups (through community partners), hotlines, media, and questions coming in to front-line staff.
- Log each rumour with first sighting, platforms, reach, growth trend, potential harm and the communities affected.
- Look for information gaps. Many rumours are attempts to answer questions officials have not answered. The gap is often more important than the rumour.
During the crisis: decide
For each rumour, ask:
| Question | If yes |
|---|---|
| Could it cause physical harm (dangerous remedy, wrong evacuation route)? | Respond immediately |
| Is it spreading beyond its original community? | Respond |
| Is it eroding trust in essential instructions? | Respond and reinforce the instructions |
| Is it confined to a small group, with little potential harm? | Monitor; do not amplify |
| Is it partly true? | Acknowledge what is true; correct the rest |
During the crisis: communicate
- Be first, be right, be credible. These are CERC principles. Speed matters, but an early mistake costs credibility.
- Say what you don’t know. “We do not yet know the cause. We will update at 6 pm” prevents speculation better than silence.
- Lead with facts, not the rumour. Use the fact–warning–fallacy–fact structure from the Debunking Handbook.
- Give people something to do. Actions reduce anxiety and the urge to share speculation.
- Use trusted messengers: local doctors, community and religious leaders, people who speak the languages of affected groups.
- Be consistent across agencies. Contradictions between official sources are the strongest fuel for rumours.
- Update on a schedule and keep your promises about timing.
After the crisis
- Review the rumour log. Which rumours caused harm? Which responses worked?
- Identify the gaps that rumours filled and fix them in your plans.
- Thank and strengthen partners in communities and media.
- Update templates and thresholds.
The key principle
A rumour is usually a symptom of unanswered questions, distrust or fear. Debunking specific claims is necessary. In the long run, though, the most effective rumour management is fast, honest and empathetic communication that leaves less room for rumours to grow.