Handling Rumours in Times of Distress

editorial:
Sikkim has always been susceptible to rumours and the increased levels of anxiety in the wake of the Sunday earthquake have weakened it even more to the power of hearsay. Rumours spike during emergencies and there is really no way to stop them. The only way that the damage potential of rumours can be moderated is through immediate and convincing clarifications. There is really no other defence against the machine which churns out rumours which can trigger panic, because in times of crisis like the one gripping Sikkim at present, most of the rumours are not born out of mischief but are creations of misinformed concern.
Admittedly, not all rumours are born with anonymous SMSes and even the media outlets can at time contribute to creating panic with misrepresentation or instinctive sensationalism. Sikkim experienced two such outbursts yesterday and it is time that its agencies started countering rumours with clarifications. It is important to bear in mind that denials alone are not enough. Given the traumatised state of most minds, it is important that rumours are not just dismissed as false, but detailed clarifications and counter-explanations presented.
With the disaster relief measures still struggling with logistic problems in accessing affected areas, it is natural that there will be more questions than answers. An information vacuum should be avoided at all costs because rumours breed fast in this vacuum. People do not expect the authorities to have all the answers, but instead of refusing to even comment on unreached areas [because no official details have been compiled yet], they should at least detail what is being done to reach the cut-off zones and whatever information has been collected, even from secondary sources, on the situation in the more remote areas. Authorities in the know should volunteer information as it reaches them because rumours do not wait for pre-notified times to circulate. Of course, the risk of being fast with information is that accuracy may be compromised. This can be worked around by releasing information in increments, admitting details that have not arrived, explaining what is being done to source it and assuring that more information will be released as it arrives. It is important to avoid misdirection and be truthful at all costs. Too many times, the authorities fudge details in the misconception that it would cause embarrassment or trigger panic. What they overlook is that withholding information is never watertight and when information leaks, it is incomplete and can add resentment and distrust among the people. Simple fact is that rumours are more damaging than hard truths, no matter how disturbing it is.
What the authorities also need to also consider is to use more mediums to spread ‘official’ information. If rumours can spread through SMSes, why cannot the State use the mobile service providers to circulate its updates on a half-hourly basis? Mobile phone users across the State will then receive updates like progress of relief and rescue teams, latest casualty figures, road condition updates, information on new landslides and roadblocks, even counters of the latest rumours being circulated. It is important to keep people updated because it is in the ambiguity of delay that rumours strike roots. Mediums like the FM radio should also be included to broadcast regular updates and even online options should be considered. When officially endorsed information is abundant, rumours will not have as much room to circulate and what is more important, they will be countered and clarified in real time.