> If popularity is not material then the loss of a single developer will have no impact and Rust will be the same as it ever was

If lots of articles are written saying that popularity is all that matters, then people will start believing it, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. That's the narrowness.

> then people will start believing it

I don't subscribe to this philosophy. People will repeat it in certain contexts to avoid sounding out of touch and incurring social bullying but I have genuine doubts that their beliefs can be so easily manipulated.

> and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy

If you do believe this then your answer is just to write a bunch of articles in the opposite direction. It's a gross sort of world to accept living in; though, this is probably why I hold the belief I've espoused above.