This used to be a darling of sociologists in Romania, but its lesson was forgotten. Jean-Noël Kapferer argued that rumors are informal news and that we should get used to it. The author is a popular writer on issues related to communication and Rumors is his best-known book. In an age where everybody has an opinion on propaganda and disinformation, his work still brings freshness to this ongoing debate.
Rumors is written in a very accessible style and it is full of practical examples. I never knew that Procter & Gamble was accused of consorting with the Devil or that French political life was so influenced by hearsay. Jean-Noël Kapferer organized his book in descriptive, interpretative and practical sections. In this review, I will focus on two subjects that are often discussed today.
In periods of crisis, misinformation is a normal response. Rumors act like a medium of communication when people can’t rely on official reports or on mainstream media, both features characterizing the country where I live, Romania. Jean-Noël Kapferer thinks that, while they may include disinformation, it is wrong to define rumors according to their truth value or in moral terms. They are part of a wider social dynamic, one who fulfills a very wide range of functions (information, entertainment, socialization etc.).
Political manipulation of uncertainty is rather common, never mind the medium. Rumors argued that it is a rather effective instrument, one that offers cover and is cheap, though its development can’t always be predicted and it may backfire. These tools are omnipresent during elections, or negotiations, and denial rarely worked. There is also a wider appeal, since Jean-Noël Kapferer saw rumors almost like a response to the established powers.
The conclusion, old as history and still new, is that fighting against rumors is a very difficult job. You can reinterpret the terms, try to distract the attention and so on, options that require a lot of work and investment. There are some flaws in Jean-Noël Kapferer’s work, such that some arguments are difficult to prove, imperfections tempered by the author’s ability to approach a complex issue in simple terms. Even if written in 1987, Rumors has a lot to teach us.