The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor, “Akeed,” recorded 43 rumors that circulated through local media and social media during August and came from social networking sites.
The observatory’s report, which came out on Wednesday, said this month witnessed an increase in rumors compared to the 28 in July.
According to the report, three rumors circulating in media originated from social media platforms, while social media reported only one from foreign sources.
Public affairs rumors came first with 15 rumors, or 35 percent, followed by economic rumors with 11 or 26 percent, while in the third place were security rumors with 7 rumors and 16 percent, figures showed.
Forty-one rumors, or 95 percent of the total 43 rumors, originated from local sources, such as social media or news websites, according to the report, while only two rumors, or 5 percent of the total, originated from foreign sources.
Thirty-five rumors, or 81 percent of the total, originated from local social media, while eight rumors, or 19 percent, originated from traditional media.
The observatory asserted that the fundamental rule when handling any content created by users of social networking sites is to not re-publish it unless it has been substantiated by a credible source.
The observatory cautioned that relying on the users of these sites as a source of news without considering the veracity of the content leads to the publication of a great deal of incorrect and inaccurate news, as well as the propagation of rumors and false information.
Source: Jordan News Agency