Rumor and Communication in Asia in the Internet Age [Paperback]

New communication technology has transformed the way in which news about key events is communicated. For example, in the immediate aftermath of catastrophic events such as the Mumbai attacks or the Japanese tsunami, partial accounts, accurate and inaccurate facts, rumour and speculation are now very rapidly disseminated across the globe, often ahead of official announcements and formal news reporting. Often in such situations rumours take hold, and continue to characterise events even after a more complete, more accurate picture eventually emerges. This book explores how such rumours are created, disseminated and absorbed in the age of the internet and mobile communications. It includes a wide range of examples and, besides considering the overall processes involved, engages with scholarly debates in the field of media and communication studies.

Introduction Greg Dalziel  1. Rumour, Gossip, and Conspiracy Theories: Pathologies of Testimony and the Principle of Publicity Axel Gelfert  2. Have You Heard? The Rumour as Reliable Matthew Dentith  3. Triangle of Death: Strategic Communication, Counterinsurgency, and the Rumor Mill Daniel Bernardi and Scott Ruston  4. The Politics of Informal Communication: Conspiracy Theories and Rumors in the 2009 (Post-) Electoral Iranian Public Sphere Babak Rahimi  5. Rumors, Religion and Political Mobilization: Indonesian Cases, 1965-1998 Mark Woodward  6. Rumors of Terrorism: Social Cognitive Structures, Collective Sensemaking, and the Emergence of Rumor Greg Dalziel 7. Rumor, Culture and Strategic Communication across Old and New Media in Southeast Asia: The Case of Terrorist Noordin Top Chris Lundry and Pauline l¡