The Legacy of 'Rumor Control,' From Watts to Ferguson

It is the too-familiar American equation of racial violence: Racism, codified in city plans and policy. A black body battered by white law enforcement. A surge of civil unrest, then police retaliation. More blood on the streets.

Rumors often magnify these awful variables. They have shaped actions, narratives, and memories of countless racially charged events. Almost every high-profile instance of unrest even just this past year had some piece of unverified information exacerbating outrage. This is nothing new: According to one 1960s government report, rumors helped incite 65 percent of so-called race riots during the Civil Rights era.