The Building Blocks of Fake News: Rumor as a Core Component of Disinformation

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Information Fusion

Article Type: Research Article
Issue: Vol. 2 No. 4 (2026): In Progress
Published: 15 October 2026
Pages: 45-60

How to Cite

Wilbur, D. (2026). The Building Blocks of Fake News: Rumor as a Core Component of Disinformation. Crisis and Resilience, 2(4), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.65773/cr.2.4.167

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Authors

Douglas Wilbur *
University of Maryland Global Campus, USA

Abstract

Background: Rumor and disinformation are typically studied separately, leaving rumor’s tactical role within disinformation systems and its implications for societal resilience underexamined. This study addresses that gap by examining rumor’s structural role within disinformation texts. Methods: A mixed-methods content analysis coded 250 disinformation texts from EUvsDisinfo for ten linguistic and emotional features linked to rumor construction. Quantitative coding identified explicit rumors and measured signal-variable intensity, while thematic analysis of a 25 percent subsample examined how these features functioned rhetorically. Results: Explicit rumors appeared in only 36 texts (14.4 percent), yet rumor-related signals, uncertainty, vague attribution, and emotional language, were pervasive throughout the corpus. Emotional intensity correlated significantly with credibility-related linguistic indicators, and this relationship strengthened as rumor intensity increased. The resulting rumor atmosphere was strongest in crisis-adjacent themes such as war and economic instability. Conclusions: Rumor functions as a structural component of disinformation rather than an occasional feature, extending Affective Intelligence Theory into digital environments where anxiety may direct audiences toward emotionally satisfying interpretations rather than careful verification. Significance: By linking rumor’s structural role to the conditions that erode societal resilience, this study offers journalism and resilience practitioners a more precise target for intervention than fact-checking alone.

Keywords:
Rumor, disinformation, fake news, resilience, crisis communication, affective intelligence theory

Article Details

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