This shows we need to rethink about how we interact with malicious ideas, and who is really benefitting when we give them our attention. A common argument for featuring extreme views is that they would spread anyway, even without media amplification. But studies of online contagion have found the opposite: content rarely goes far without broadcast events to amplify it. If an idea becomes popular, it’s generally because well-known personalities and media outlets have helped it spread, whether deliberately or inadvertently.
