Banning Talk Boosts Attention

Telling the public not to mention a sensitive fact (e.g., a shooter’s identity attribute) increases focus on it, an 'ironic process' akin to 'don’t think of an elephant.' The article argues that commissar‑style admonitions turn taboo details into the headline by making them cognitively unavoidable. — If suppression reliably heightens salience, elites need communication strategies that avoid ironic amplification or they will strengthen the narratives they seek to contain.