Joel Finkelstein

On this episode of Nothing But the Truth, Trudy Stern speaks with Joel Finkelstein about how social media, online radicalization, and “narrative warfare” have become major weapons in modern conflict. Finkelstein explains why he founded the Network Contagion Research Institute after noticing how intelligent people were increasingly adopting extreme ideological views online. The conversation explores how digital platforms amplify polarization, mob mentality, disinformation, and antisemitism, while also examining how online hate and coordinated narratives can spill into real-world violence and social unrest.