A New Channel for the Grapevine: Online Forums as a Site of Rumor Transmission

Kose A., YILMAZ M.

MILLI FOLKLOR, no.85, pp.183-192, 2010 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: Issue: 85
  • Publication Date: 2010
  • Journal Name: MILLI FOLKLOR
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.183-192
  • Karadeniz Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This article examines the workings of the grapevine, which appears at times of uncertainty and is more effective and faster than the formal communication channels, and rumor -which is the main element of this type of communication- by looking at forum sections on the web sites of several newspapers in the Turkish mass media. It has analyzed readers' comments on forum pages beneath news about swine flu in the issues of daily Milliyet, Haberturk, Sabah and Radikal between 14 October and 24 October 2009, using the thematic analysis method.