The Brian Lehrer Show

Social Media and the Charlie Kirk Killing

Sep 15, 2025
Adam Clark Estes, a senior technology correspondent at Vox, dives into the chilling aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination and the rapid spread of graphic footage on social media. He discusses the shocking lack of content moderation from tech giants and how algorithms thrive on user engagement with such violent content. Estes highlights the emotional toll on viewers, especially children, and the pressing need for open dialogues about media literacy at home. The conversation also critiques the ethical dilemmas faced by platforms in balancing sensationalism with responsible sharing.
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INSIGHT

Moderation Has Been Scaled Back

  • Major platforms have cut content moderation and scaled back fact-checking in the name of free speech.
  • Those cuts make it much harder to stop rapid spread of violent videos in real time.
ANECDOTE

How Quickly The Video Spread

  • The Charlie Kirk shooting was streamed and reuploaded widely across TikTok, X, Instagram and YouTube within minutes.
  • About 11 million streams occurred within two hours and copies kept circulating, overwhelming content controls.
ANECDOTE

Parent Shares Son's Exposure

  • A caller described her high school son showing her a close-up of the shooting he found on X after school.
  • She worried it traumatized him and had to talk with him afterwards about violence and not seeing such footage.
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