Why Rumors Thrive in Times of Crises
The killing of an activist has unleashed a flood of rumors online.
Posted September 13, 2025 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
Rumors are unverified stories that develop organically and are common in the aftermath of shocking events. The recent murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has triggered a deluge of online rumors. What's going on?
A key ingredient in the formation of a rumor is ambiguity. Even with the arrest of the suspected shooter, there is still much that remains unclear. Rumors are incubated in an atmosphere where there is a dearth of information, which creates fertile ground for speculation. This uncertainty leads to feelings of uneasiness and a desire to fill in the gaps of knowledge with hearsay, guesses, and conspiracy theories, which quickly give rise to an array of false stories. The more important the event is deemed to be, the greater the urgency to try to understand it. This very process of engaging in speculation helps people to resolve the anxiety they may be feeling about the event. As philosopher Suzanne Lange has observed, human beings are highly adaptable creatures, but they are not good at dealing with chaos.
Another factor in rumor formation is the element of plausibility; otherwise, they would be dismissed as lacking credibility and would not be passed on. The presence of emotional arousal is another element that can accelerate the spread of rumors, as is the perceived importance of the event. The assassination of a prominent political figure is not a typical news story; it is a major event and an inflection point in American history. In situations such as this, people are not merely passive bystanders to history; they become part of the story in becoming active participants by constructing narratives that help us to make sense of the world. They do this through creating and spreading rumors.
In the past, rumors typically spread slowly by word of mouth and were often confined to geographical regions. This changed with the advent of newspapers, radio, and television. Today, as social media posts are shared and commented on, it further amplifies rumors, as do the algorithms of social media platforms, which favor conflict and sensationalism over accuracy. The sheer volume of posts can also lend legitimacy to certain claims.
Think of rumors as collective problem-solving exercises. One thing is certain: Rumors are here to stay as they are part of the human condition. Ultimately, rumors tell us more about us as a society than they reveal about the subject of the rumor itself.
Bartholomew, Robert E., Hassall, Peter (2015). A Colorful History of Popular Delusions. Amherst, New York: Prometheus.
Bartholomew, Robert E., and Weatherhead, Paul (2024). Social Panics & Phantom Attackers: A Study of Imaginary Assailants. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan
Langer, Suzanne (1979). Philosophy in a New Key . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, p. 287.
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Robert Bartholomew, Ph.D. , is an American born medical sociologist, writer, journalist, human rights advocate.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.