Rumor management during natural disasters: A “whole of government” coordination perspective

Rumor management and control in times of crises are important research agendas in public administration. While this domain is flourishing, most studies concentrate on single incidents or governmental tiers, neglecting the nuanced dynamic interactions in multiple governmental tiers. Drawing on the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), we examine how central, provincial, and municipal governments communicate with the public to counter rumors during natural disasters, using China as a case. By applying machine learning techniques to 10,682 government microblog posts combined with qualitative analyses, this study identifies four distinct counter-rumor strategies: evidence-based refutation, advocacy, attacking rumor initiator, and denial without evidence. Results reveal the “whole of government” collaborative governance and intergovernmental coordination pattern within multi-tier governments. Evidence-based refutation constitutes the dominant counter-rumor strategy across all governmental tiers, while advocacy serves as a secondary approach. Within this shared pattern, a subtle “division of labor” approach emerges: central government tends to employ evidence-based refutation more frequently, whereas local (provincial and municipal) governments show relatively greater use of advocacy. The other strategies are quantitatively consistent across governmental tiers. Meanwhile, counter-rumor strategies vary systematically by disaster type. This coordination with specialization in communication strategy provides insights for global crisis management.