I think the problem with that assumption is that non-hackers can visit this site and vote for articles that are only interesting to the general public and other

I think the problem with that assumption is that non-hackers can visit this site and vote for articles that are only interesting to the general public and otherwise off-topic for this site. It doesn't take many votes to get on the front page, you only need a handful of users who are willing to upvote any sensational headline.