Editorial: Rumors

Rumor: General talk not based on definite knowledge

There is a surplus of rumors in Cedar Key recently. The World Almanac does not give statistics regarding rumors per day according to geographic location, adjusted per capita. That statistic may not vary from community to community. However, the phenomenon is important because it is often the starting point of a factual newspaper article once truth is established.

Getting from rumor to fact sometimes requires judging the motivation of the rumor`s source. One basis of judgment is consideration of the biblical Seven Deadly Sins. For purpose of review, Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth are the Seven Deadly Sins.(Note that lying is not on the list.) Many rumors stem from one of the Deadly Seven.

Some rumors result from Anger or wishful thinking by an aggrieved person, desire for revenge or just plain mean spirits. Salacious rumors result from the sin of Lust. The juicier the rumor, the better, and the faster the rumor travels! Envy no doubt gives rise to some rumors. Vicarious Covetousness and suspected Gluttony most certainly generate other rumors. Sloth, the last of the deadly sins, contributes to false rumors when no one bothers to check the veracity of the rumor.

Looking beyond the abstract human failings of the deadly sins, rumors sometimes have other origins. One local rumor occurred when two men were described as being "in bed together." The figure of speech escalated to indicate literal homosexuality, with inquiries from as far as Atlanta within hours.

Another case occurred when a recent arrival in town was confused with a convicted local pedophile. The new arrival had the same name as a man on a Wisconsin list of convicted sexual predators. The latter case can be attributed to Sloth in that the originator of the rumor was too lazy to find the truth.

Journalists have the professional obligation to check the facts. Anyone that transmits a rumor has a similar obligation, to judge the likelihood that a rumor is true, no matter how juicy.