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COVID-19

Effective Rumor Refutation Strategies on Social Media during Public Health Emergencies

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from the Communication University of China have conducted a study to explore the effectiveness of different rumor refutation strategies on social media during acute public health emergencies, with a specific focus on the moderating effects of the 5 W theory. The study used the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study and analyzed 22,648 refutation posts related to COVID-19 from the Weibo platform in 2020. The findings indicate that the combination of direct refutation with factual clarification is more effective in enhancing the credibility and dissemination of reputation information compared to isolated strategies.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study employed the 5 W theory, which involves the elements of What, When, Where, Who, and Why to evaluate and optimize refutation strategies.
  • A total of 22,648 refutation posts related to COVID-19 from the Weibo platform in 2020 were analyzed as part of the empirical analysis.
  • The findings suggest that the combination of direct refutation with factual clarification is more effective in enhancing the credibility and dissemination of reputation information compared to isolated strategies.
  • The study highlights the moderating role of specific rumor characteristics, such as the rumor's name, location, and the underlying reasons, on the effectiveness of these strategies.
  • The research provides practical policy recommendations based on empirical findings for public health communicators and policymakers to tailor refutation strategies to specific characteristics of rumors for more effective rumor containment.

Statistics:

  • 22,648 refutation posts related to COVID-19 from the Weibo platform in 2020 were used in the empirical analysis.
  • The study analyzed the effectiveness of different rumor refutation strategies on social media during acute public health emergencies.
  • The findings indicate that the combination of direct refutation with factual clarification is more effective in enhancing the credibility and dissemination of reputation information compared to isolated strategies.
  • The study highlights that specific rumor characteristics, such as the rumor's name, location, and the underlying reasons, play a moderating role in the effectiveness of refutation strategies.

Sources:

  • The Moderating Effects of 5w-based Elements On Rumor Refutation Strategies On Social Media During Public Health Emergency: a Case Study of Covid-19 Pandemic. Information Processing & Management, 2025;62(4).
  • NewsRx. New COVID-19 Findings Reported from Communication University of China (The Moderating Effects of 5w-based Elements On Rumor Refutation Strategies On Social Media During Public Health Emergency: a Case Study of Covid-19 Pandemic). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. July 13, 2025; p 141.

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