"Rumors: We Will Assimilate You!"
by Brad Wilders, USS ATLAS, Region 12

It is a sad state that their are people that will start fictitious rumors just to further their own agenda. In this case the rumor usually is a lie shrouded in half-truths because the person will want to be able to present some truth to get themselves heard. These are the most dangerous rumors because they are set on hurting someone or something else. The third major way a rumor gets started is through irresponsible gossip. Gossip is human nature. To some extent most everyone gossips. In most instances gossip is harmless however gossip can lead to rumors being spread. The more people talk the more it is spread. And, the more gossip is spread the less harmless it becomes. Such is the nature of the medium. 

Why Rumors Are Deadly 
Rumors left unchecked will destroy an organization. Rumors themselves do one thing. They provoke people. They give people a reason to start conflict. In any other scenario people will not start conflict unless they have facts to back up their claims. When you have a rumor and you can present it as such then you don't need facts because it is just something "you heard". People will use rumors to further their own agenda whiter they started them or not. They can do this because it gives them a reason to start conflict. Rumors when out of control will eventually enflame an entire organization. Rumors grow at an exponential rate. So their deadliness grows with them. 

How to Squash a Rumor 
Their are many ways to squash a rumor. I present a method that I think is the best way to squash a rumor. Get to it quick. The more a rumor spreads the harder it will be to contain. So quell the rumor as soon as it comes out. The best way to do this is to attack it with hard facts. You can't argue a rumor because their is no one to argue with. Do not argue with a rumors supporters because their only source of information is the rumor. If you attack the rumor itself the supporters of the rumor will not have anything left to argue with. Present clear, straightforward facts in a medium that reaches the most people possible. Don't quote the rumor because that only spreads it further. Present facts that undermine the intent of the rumor. With the facts out their people will have no choice but to believe the rumor false. 

By the space I used in my article it may look as though I put more emphasis on how to start a rumor than on who to debunk one. There is a reason for this. The best way to keep a rumor from harming an organization is to stop it before it starts. If people realize how a rumor starts then they can keep it from happening. Two of the three ways a rumor starts are avoidable. It only takes for people to think before they talk.