How is this different from publishing an unattributed and unsubstantiated rumor?

No doubt, wild and unsubstantiated rumors will begin appearing on this ship.

There have been unsubstantiated rumors of Piranha being caught in the lake over the past 2 decades.

That particular unsubstantiated rumor is still circulating on the Internet, months after it was shot down.

One has to wonder where unsubstantiated rumors and "dire warnings" come from.

All we have are unsubstantiated rumors about whoever or whatever is there.

There were unsubstantiated rumors of abuse and pilfering during the project.

These were never were presented to him and remained only unsubstantiated rumors.

No matter how much "information technology" we develop, human beings will always be drawn in by the unsubstantiated rumor.

But why does an audience take this at face value, instead of recognizing it is a tall tale or unsubstantiated rumor?