All the Rumors Are True

Abstract

This introduction surveys the field of critical scholarship on rumors and gossip, making a case for their epistemological relevance in today’s global mediascape. While we take seriously the democratising potential of rumors and gossip as alternative forms of knowledge that empower minoritised voices, we also engage with the more sinister connotations of unverified beliefs and claims in the post-truth era. From feminist whisper networks and queer fabulations to virally proliferating misinformation, fake news, and conspiracies, we assess rumors and gossip across the vast landscape of contemporary media while previewing the essays and roundtable discussion featured in this special issue.