"Minutes after news that right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk had been shot at a planned campus event at Utah Valley University, the wheels of social media engagement farming and clout chasing had already begun to grind to life. Kirk, despite being in his 30s, was a mainstay on college campuses around the country, where student groups regularly invited him to hold "debate me"-style events."
"The classic format - vertical split-screen of Kirk on the bottom, a student speaker on the top - racked up millions of views as the right-wing influencer sparred with college kids challenging him on issues like immigration, abortion, and race in the US. The event on Wednesday started like any other: Kirk's account posted hype-up clips, and students made lighthearted jokes about Kirk's arrival that now are eerily prophetic."
Right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was shot at a planned event at Utah Valley University. Minutes after the shooting, social media engagement farming and clout-chasing surged as users and accounts reacted. Kirk cultivated a presence on college campuses through "debate me"-style events that used vertical split-screen clips to generate millions of views. Those confrontations often focused on immigration, abortion, and race. The Utah Valley event began with promotional clips and joking student videos that were later deleted. The shooting turned a publicity-driven campus tour into a disturbing incident that alarmed attendees and online audiences.
Read at The Verge
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