About this quote

Markets reward whatever people will buy, even when the product is confusion or fear. That means falsehoods can be profitable, and profit can keep them alive. Ask yourself: where are your clicks and dollars going — toward truth or toward louder claims? Start by refusing to share unchecked claims and supporting sources that actually check facts.

When to use it

• In the newsroom morning meeting, a producer pitches a sensational angle — I say we wait for two independent sources before we run it.
• As a grad student picking citations for my paper, I skip flashy blogs and use peer-reviewed studies even if they take longer to read.
• While shopping for supplements, I pass on the bright labels promising miracles and look up clinical evidence before buying.
• At a family group chat when someone posts a viral health claim, I ask for the study and tell them I won't forward it without proof.