Online hate groups sustain their messages by repeating powerful stories or routinely adding new allegations

Repeating harmful ideas online, or regularly making fresh accusations, keeps hate groups alive.

By: Yu-Ru Lin, University of Pittsburgh, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 7, 2026

Words: 756

Last Updated: 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Body Text Preview

By Yu-Ru Lin, University of Pittsburgh

Hate communities often flourish online for years, raising the question of how they persist. My research team has found that powerful stories keep members of a hate group galvanized, either by repeating the story over and over or by constantly adding fresh accusations and interpretations to it.

I’m a computational social scientist who studies social and political networks. My colleagues and I uncovered these trends by examining …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us