Akeed records 28 rumors in July

Twenty of the 28 rumors that circulated through local media and social media during the month of July came from social networking sites, according to the Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor, “Akeed.”

The observatory’s report, which came out on Sunday, said that there were fewer rumors in July than in June, when there were 39.

According to the report, security-related rumors ranked first with 10 out of 28 or 36 percent, followed by economic rumors with 7, or 25 percent, and public affairs rumors with 6, or 21 percent of the total.

With 3 rumors and 11 percent, health rumors ranked fourth, while political rumors ranked fifth with 2 rumors and 7 percent. No social rumors were recorded, the report revealed.

Twenty-six rumors, or 93 percent of the total 28 rumors, originated from local sources, such as social media or news websites, according to the report, while only two rumors, or 7 percent of the total, originated from foreign sources.

Twenty rumors, or 71 percent of the total, originated from local social media, while eight rumors, or 29 percent, originated from traditional media.

The observatory asserted that the fundamental rule when handling any content created by users of social networking sites is to not re-publish it unless it has been substantiated by a credible source.

The observatory cautioned that relying on the users of these sites as a source of news without considering the veracity of the content leads to the publication of a great deal of incorrect and inaccurate news, as well as the propagation of rumors and false information.

Source: Jordan News Agency