Rumors, Mistruths, and Hearsay: How is a Superintendent to React?

As a superintendent I was often called upon to address questions about a current event or decision in the district which was the product of rumor, mistruth or hearsay. It was frustrating, but at least I was asked! Too often these tales are kept underground and take on a life of their own. Superintendents are then compelled to spend days, if not weeks, working to correct the record.

To combat these issues we must first understand the process by which they travel, but then consider how we can move to “correct the record”. We must design a system, that is put in place beforehand, which can be activated once a rumor, mistruth, or component of hearsay begins to travel throughout our district. How might this system look? In the paragraphs which follow let’s explore this question.

First, it is important to divide those who spread rumors, mistruths and hearsay into three groups. The groups are fluid, and individuals can shift between them depending upon the issue, but more often than not (due to human nature) they tend to stay fairly consistent.

Let’s start with those who spread the rumors, mistruths or hearsay; I call this group the “Producers”. The Producers, in most cases, know they are creating and spreading misinformation or half-truths and they do so because they enjoy the drama which ensues, or find power in controlling the narrative.

Once a Producer shares the misinformation with another individual that person can either become a “Repeater”, or a “Clarifier”. Repeaters also often enjoy the drama of the mistruth and pass it on because to them “information is power” and they feel influential if they have important highlights to share with others. Of course, at times, Repeaters are innocent from the perspective that they are unaware that a rumor is being spread.  Although this can be the case, “habitual” Repeaters on the other hand tend to fall into the first group and enjoy playing the role of information disseminator.  Regardless of the veracity of the information being shared, it is often exhilarating for Repeaters to “be in the know”.

Clarifiers on the other hand desire to “set the record straight”. Individuals in this category typically go to the source to gain additional information prior to speaking to others regarding questionable or controversial topics. Clearly, we want to identify, encourage, and feed Clarifiers.

So, in summary, we need to be cognizant of who the Producers, Repeaters and Clarifiers are in our district. We then need to put in place a system, that can be quickly activated, which enables us to provide accurate information to the Clarifiers in the community. Once we activate our Clarifier network, we can then accelerate the timeline by which the truth can be known.

Ideally, we meet on a regular basis with those in our Clarifier network, possibly through having coffee (once we are able to do so), or in the more immediate term through video conferencing.  Periodic email updates work too. I am sure there are many different ways to keep our Clarifier network informed and engaged, but the system cannot work if we don’t take the time to purposefully set it up for success.

How do you communicate with Clarifiers in your district? Please take a moment to share in the chat section below, and as always, remember that we all gain wisdom when we share and dialogue with each other.