Rumors, False Flags, and Digital Vigilantes: Misinformation on Twitter after the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing

Abstract

The Boston Marathon bombing story unfolded on every possible carrier of information available in the spring of 2013, including Twitter. As information spread, it was filled with rumors (unsubstantiated information), and many of these rumors contained misinformation. Earlier studies have suggested that crowdsourced information flows can correct misinformation, and our research investigates this proposition. This exploratory research examines three rumors, later demonstrated to be false, that circulated on Twitter in the aftermath of the bombings. Our findings suggest that corrections to the misinformation emerge but are muted compared with the propagation of the misinformation. The similarities and differences we observe in the patterns of the misinformation and corrections contained within the stream over the days that followed the attacks suggest directions for possible research strategies to automatically detect misinformation.

Digital Vigilantism as Weaponisation of Visibility

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Wisdom of Crowds for Reliable Discussion and Need Finding: A Case Study of Information Sharing Regarding Radiation after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

“…In addition, Starbird et al examined the relationship between rumors and crowd correction on Twitter after the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing [20], and Oh et al found that information from credible sources suppresses anxiety through an analysis of Twitter data using both quantitative and qualitative methods following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti [21].…”

Safety and Solidarity After the Boston Marathon Bombing: A Comparison of Three Diverse Boston Neighborhoods

“…Moving from broadcast television to newer media, over 20 million tweets about the bombing, many sent from smartphones at the scene, flooded Twitter. These included ostensibly factual information 7 using hashtags like #breaking, #manhunt, and #mitshooting, as well as expressions of support and solidarity like #prayforboston and #bostonstrong (Starbird et al 2014). While the "customary places" for conversation may have changed since Durkheim's time, the conversation clearly still occurs and the result appears to be the same: public indignation and, eventually, community solidarity.…”

“…Notably, a great deal of misinformation was found in these tweets(Starbird et al 2014) 44Brenner et al…”