Countering the Counter-Power: The Political Effects of Internet Rumors and Rumor Rebuttals in China

The Institute of East Asian Studies will hold a talk about the rise of the internet and its role in rumors and rumor rebuttals in China.

Speaker: Haifeng Huang, Political Science, University of California, Merced

Rumors exist in almost every society but can be particularly prevalent in authoritarian countries, partly due to the lack of authoritative information sources in such countries. The rise of the internet and especially social media has significantly increased the speed and breadth with which rumors can circulate among the population. While anecdotal evidences have suggested that rumors can spark or intensify social protests, currently little is known about their influences on citizens' trust and evaluation of the government, and the effects of official efforts to dispel rumors. China, with her vibrant Internet community and significant visibility of online rumors and the authorities' anti-rumor efforts, offers an ideal environment to examine these issues. In this project I experimentally investigate if and how internet rumors influence people's attitudes toward the government, and whether the authorities can effectively combat rumors.