Strategies for Earthquake Rumor Governance: Evidence From a Survey Experiment

ABSTRACT This study aims to extend the application of behavioral public policy and general rumor theory by using a survey‐experimental method to examine the impact of four strategies—rumor refutation, knowledge provision, legal deterrence, and source regulation—on public's earthquake rumor trust and rumor‐sharing behavior. The results indicate that these strategies can significantly reduce public's trust in rumors and the likelihood of sharing them, albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness and through different underlying mechanisms. Specifically, the rumor refutation strategy primarily influences rumor sharing intention through the mediation of rumor trust, whereas legal deterrence and source regulation strategies appear to exert a more direct effect on rumor sharing intention. These insights highlight the importance of adopting diversified and integrated governance strategies, enhance the management of communication regulatory channels and legal frameworks, and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of rumor governance with full‐cycle rumor governance.