People, not technology, take irresponsible actions. But it is becoming hard to overlook the power social media has to propel the news agenda and lend spurious significance to the depraved prejudices of bigots such as  Terry Jones, the Florida Pastor who threatened to burn copies of the Qur’an.  This cautionary tale analyses the route by which an inflammatory suggestion posted on a Facebook group grew to be a global story that threatens lives and involves the Presidents of Indonesia and the USA. People have died because a few morons abused their constitutional right to free speech. There will always be morons. I hope there will always be free speech. Given the existence of both in democratic societies, it is worth contemplating how dramatically the growth of unmediated media has accelerated the spread of absurd ideas. It is equally important to consider the role traditional media can play in amplifying the impact of woeful prejudice.  Have ethics ever been more important in journalism? Have they ever been less prevalent? Discuss…