Rumour tracking

Misinformation and rumours are the price we pay for being able to share information across borders on social media. UNHCR has an obligation to counter rumours that can be detrimental to the protection of forcibly displaced and stateless people. But we cannot cover the entire internet with a mantle of safety. For this reason, it is important to define the boundaries of your rumour tracking mechanisms in advance. 

Tackling rumours doesn’t mean you necessarily have to set up a dedicated system or tracking mechanisms. You can embed rumour tracking into existing communication systems, like a feedback mechanism or community social media page. No matter how you do it, the required steps to detect and debunk rumours are the same. For rumour tracking to be done properly and be sustainable, it can only be implemented with a Community Based Approach, one that necessarily involves a variety of stakeholders from UNHCR, partners, forcibly displaced and stateless people and hosts to government authorities (as appropriate).

Developed as part of the Using Social Media for CBP Guide, this checklist can guide operations through rumour tracking activities such as CDAC Network, “Rumour has it: A practice guide to working with rumours” and Internews, “Managing Misinformation in a Humanitarian Context - Internews Rumour Tracking Methodology”.