  Spreading truths and blocking rumors are two typical strategies for
inhibiting rumors. In practice, a tradeoff between the two strategies, which is
known as the TSRB strategy, may achieve a better cost-effectiveness. This paper
is devoted to assessing the effectiveness of the TSRB strategy. For that
purpose, an individual-level spreading model (the generic URQT model) capturing
the interaction between a rumor and the truth is established. Under the model,
a set of criteria for the dying out of a rumor is presented. These criteria
capture the combined influence of the basic parameters and the network
structures on the effectiveness of the TSRB strategy. Experimental results show
that, when the rumor dies out, the dynamics of a simplified URQT model (the
linear URQT model) fits well with the actual rumor-truth interacting process.
Therefore, the generic URQT model and sometimes the linear URQT model provide a
proper basis for assessing the effectiveness of the TSRB strategy.
