Sina Weibo leads way with online rumors

More than a third of online rumors are spread on micro blogs, with those spread on Sina Weibo way ahead of those on other micro-blogging platforms.

The findings are disclosed in the 2013 Annual Report on the Development of New Media in China released in Beijing on Tuesday.

The report was written by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a government think tank.

In 2012, entertainment rumors accounted for the highest percentage (17.3) of total Internet rumors, followed by rumors about public security (16.1) and people’s livelihoods (11.3), the report said.

Some 1.8 rumors on average were reported by the media every day.

Although Sina Weibo has set up a channel to refute false rumours, only 32 rumours were refuted in 2012.

The report said Weibo users have a low level of education, with more than 70 percent of them educated to high school level or below.

Students form the largest user group, while people with low incomes or no incomes are the mainstream users. Those earning less than 5,000 yuan ($806) a month accounted for 92.2 percent of users.