How Rumors Start

"Did a first-year class at Georgetown Law start the 'John Roberts is retiring' rumor? According to a handful of students who e-mailed Above the Law blogger David Lat, professor Peter Tague opened his 9 a.m. Thursday criminal law class by telling students that the Supreme Court's chief justice would be stepping down for health reasons, and he asked them not to tell anyone. Of course, within minutes, if not seconds, the texting and e-mailing began. And, of course, the 'news' entered the blogosphere; it ended up on RadarOnline.com as a story."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030503971.html