You don't have to look to greed or malice, but simply the fact that people carry their unexamined biases with them when they speak their opinions.

> > > it took me many years to realize that the posters who upvote and share these articles are not only aware of the heavy fog, but are able to read though the fog

They aren't aware of the fog, they have the same subconscious biased perspective that makes the fog look like normal to them.