This story leaves me with a question that I’ve never read a hypothesis that really resonates with me. Fox News I can understand - motivated by greed the owners want viewership and hence fit the “Yellow Journalism” genre. My question is in regards to “what is the underlying fundamental psychic need for followers of conspiracy fabrications like this to be addicted to the adrenaline/peptides/endorphins (?? whatever) that drives a jihadist level pursuit of searching for and trafficking in these stories?”. My rough guess is that it is not that far from the root causes of the opiate use (and overdose) crisis — a sense of lack of control, of having a fear of insignificance and disenfranchisement so strong that ego will latch on to anything for temporary relief.