Read full article by Russell Muirhead, Nancy L. Rosenblum
Watching the spread of fantastical narratives like Pizzagate, which charges Hillary Clinton with running a child sex trafficking ring out of a pizzeria in Washington, DC, we grew concerned. Although the story is outlandish, some believe it—such as Edgar Welch, who was sentenced to federal prison for firing his assault rifle in the pizzeria because he was sure children were being held captive in the basement.1 Many others did not take the conspiracy charge literally, but still eagerly shared it on social media. Why?
