Based on the database of rumors maintained by WeChat Counter-Rumor Platform and Dingxiangyuan (DXY, a connector and digital service provider in the healthcare industry of China), this article analyzes 230 rumors collected from late December 2019 to February 13, 2020. The spreading characteristics and the social basis of epidemic rumors have been researched and findings are reached as follouing out: people’s cognitive limitations and iterations on emerging issues make the epidemic situation full of ambiguity; lack of information transparency puts the public into a cognitive predicament; and the social media communication environment may further exacerbate the complexity of rumor spreading. This article proposes a strategy to cope with rumors, that is, to establish a socialized collaborative rumor refuting mechanism.

infodemic  /  rumor  /  science communication  /  COVID-19  /  public emergency