Rumors are funny little things.
They can start so tiny and grow into the size of an oak tree. Maybe someone heard something in passing and made an incorrect assumption. Then that person tells another, and then another assumption is made, and another layer added, and this process just continues on.
The origins of false rumors can be hard to understand. So I looked up what exactly is a rumor.
A rumor is somewhat different from gossip, although similar, according to “Rumor Psychology: Social and Organizational Approaches.”
“While gossip is evaluative social talk that provides social network formation and group solidarity, rumor functions to make sense of an ambiguous situation or to help people adapt to perceived or actual threats. Why do people spread and believe rumors? Rumors are an enduring feature of our social and organizational landscapes. They attract attention, evoke emotion, incite involvement, affect attitudes and actions — and they are ubiquitous. Rumor transmission is motivated by three broad psychological motivations — fact-finding, relationship-enhancement and self-enhancement — all of which help individuals and groups make sense in the face of uncertainty.”
Some research says that spreading a rumor can boost self-esteem when it’s targeting another group.
There was a rumor that started in the 1970s about one of the largest burger chains in the U.S.
The rumor was that McDonald’s put “worm filler” in the hamburgers as a way to save money. According to Tastemade.com, founder Ray Kroc silenced the skeptics and explained that a pound of worms cost more than twice as much as ground beef, which makes it an illogical filler choice. Then, years later, there was a photo on a website with some squiggly white things in the ground beef, and the rumor began again. Turns out it was just frozen butter. But even though this rumor was proven wrong, the effects were harmful to the business, and burger sales at McDonald’s dropped.
Continuing to research about rumors, like so many times, I turned to Bible.
Scripture warns us against the spreading of rumors and people who engage in gossip. Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”
James 3:5-6 talks about controlling our tongues: “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.”
Some research suggests that people will believe rumors — even ones that are illogical — when the rumor accords with their previously held beliefs, it comes from what they consider to be a credible source, is heard repeatedly and is not rebutted.
Well, I’d like to rebut one I recently heard.
We at The Star-Herald have been on the receiving end of a false rumor. It’s both so specific and completely untrue that it’s really actually very silly. How did the person who started this rumor even come up with it? It’s pretty creative.
To clear this up, in case anyone heard and actually did believe it: No, The Star-Herald was not sold, and we will not be moving to Philadelphia or anywhere else. We’re quite happy at 104 N. Jackson St. in downtown Kosciusko! And no, there’s no one about to take over The Star-Herald at the end of July. This is absolute nonsense.
There are three ladies who you will regularly see every day at The Star-Herald’s office who work very hard to keep this operation running smoothly — Trisha Oakes, who does our bookkeeping and circulation; Jessie Cummins, who is our marketing consultant and handles legal notices; and me, editor and publisher, and it’s an absolute honor and privilege to lead this newspaper.
We are not closing either — that’s another false rumor I heard a couple of months ago that seems to have evolved into this other nonsense. This paper was established in 1866, and the reason we work so hard every day is to make sure this newspaper remains in this community for years to come.
If ever you do hear a rumor about us, please feel free to give us a call or stop by. We believe in transparency — it’s kind of what we’re known for.
In my opinion, it seems like that would have been a better option than continuing to spread a falsehood.
The Star-Herald has been owned by Emmerich Newspapers since 2013. Emmerich Newspapers, a Mississippi-based company, is the largest news network in the state, which includes 24 publications.
We have sister newspapers in nearby areas, such as Winona, Carrollton, Grenada, Louisville, Ackerman and my hometown, Eupora.
I have worked at an Emmerich-owned newspaper for my entire 17-year journalism career, and I can say from firsthand experience that we are lucky to have a company like Emmerich that not only believes in the importance of small weekly newspapers, such as The Star-Herald, but fights for us small weeklies every day.
When I told our Emmerich Newspapers leadership about it, our owner, Wyatt Emmerich, responded, “That’s a great example of wild rumors and why we need local news to debunk them.”
I hadn’t thought about it in that way until Wyatt pointed it out — this false rumor actually illustrates perfectly why local newspapers are so important to their communities.
Maybe rumors aren’t necessarily meant to be malicious, just incorrect assumptions, but I believe there’s an old saying about why you should never assume.
• Ruthie Robison is the editor and publisher of The Star-Herald.
