Top Comment
Episodes
Whistleblowers, dolphin memes, and a million dollar toilet
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How has an algorithmic arms race created an environment where controversial and incendiary content is routinely amplified on our feeds? On this episod...
Nancy Guthrie, TikTok sleuths, and Starmer's cringeposting era
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Almost six weeks since the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie (the 84-year-old mother of Today show host, Savannah Guthrie) the case which has shocked Ame...
School wars, Dubai's crisis PR, and is Fabrizio cancelled?
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A series of posts appearing to encourage violence between neighbouring UK schools has caused widespread moral panic, and prompted police forces to iss...
Kalshi, Polymarket, and gamifying the future
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past year, prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have exploded in popularity, as users bet on everything from battles in Ukraine to s...
Decline porn explained, and why Clavicular is misunderstood
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If your feed has been flooded with content about the 'dangers' of western cities like London or San Francisco, you're not alone - it's part of a growi...
Introducing... Top Comment
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this brand new weekly show, BBC correspondent Marianna Spring and investigative journalist Matt Shea talk through the stories behind your social me...
6. The Inquest
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can Coroners' courts cope with conspiracy? It’s been more than a year since Paloma Shemirani died after rejecting chemotherapy in favour of alternat...
5. A collective immune system
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can people fight back against medical misinformation? In the months after Paloma’s death, her brothers say they want to prevent other deaths, and th...
4. The Archaeologists
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are we equipped to deal with a rising tide of misinformation? The BBC’s social media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring investigates how s...
3. Down the cancer conspiracy rabbit hole
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What are cancer patients seeing on social media? The BBC’s social media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring goes down the cancer conspiracy...
2. Conspiracyland at home
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could the answer lie in the past? The BBC’s social media investigations correspondent, Marianna Spring, continues investigating what happened to Pal...
1. The Dove and the Pigeon
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happened to Paloma? Aged 22, Paloma Shemirani has her whole life ahead of her. She’s recently graduated, moved into a flat and found a job. But...
5. Fandom Frenzies: Who’s afraid of little old us?
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Why Do You Hate Me? USA, BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring is investigating how what’s happening online can shape...
4. Doxxed and Blocked: ‘We’re distressed about war in the Middle East and now trolls are after us.'
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Few topics have caused as much division online as the deepening war in the Middle East. In this episode, Marianna is in New York investigating the exp...
3. The Fable of the Pikesville Clip: ‘I’ve been burnt by the fire once, so I’ll think twice before posting’
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A headteacher at a school in small American suburb of Baltimore was a prominent member of the local community. But many in the neighbourhood turned on...
2. Counting The Threats: 'I just work in IT – why am I getting threats from election deniers?'
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are the real-world consequences of the belief that almost anything and everything can be staged or rigged – from assassination attempts to elec...
1. Wild Thoughts: 'I hate Trump, she likes him – we both think he staged assassination attempts'
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Camille and ‘Wild Mother’. Both women love nature, animals, and the outdoors. Both women also believe the assassination attempts on Donald Tr...
Introducing... Why Do You Hate Me? USA
14 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For the second series of BBC Radio 4’s Why Do You Hate Me, disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring heads to the USA. She inves...
5. I Went Inside The World Of The Trolled And The Troll
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna investigates online abuse targeting Eni Aluko and tracks down one of her trolls.In this series, Why Do You Hate Me?, Marianna Spring delves i...
4. I Received Online Death Threats And The Premier League Caught My Troll
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Premier League has told the BBC it’s fighting a rise in social media threats against both its players and their families, with a team dedicated ...
3. Sadiq Khan: I Didn’t Say That!
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last November, a faked audio clip of London's mayor went viral. Marianna Spring talks to Sadiq Khan about the impact it had and tracks down it's suspe...
2. I Believed Conspiracies About The Shooting I Survived
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna Spring talks to a survivor of the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017 about how posts on a social media account made him question an event he’...
1. I Regret Posting Online That I Was Madeleine McCann
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Julia Wandelt posted on social media that she believed she was Madeleine McCann, she became a lightning rod for online anger. In the first of a n...
Introducing... Why Do You Hate Me?
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The online world can be a breeding ground for hate. But why do some people behave the way they do on social media? In each episode, the BBC's Disinfo...
Bonus: Irish Conspiracyland
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna travels to Dublin to investigate a court case unfolding against the Irish Light conspiracy theory newspaper. Edel Campbell and her lawyer hav...
Bonus: Frontlines of Conspiracyland
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, the BBC’S International Editor Jeremy Bowen and Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent Marianna Spring talk about thei...
10. A Risk That’s Impossible To Ignore
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What will happen next in Conspiracyland? In the final episode, Marianna is back where she started, in the Devon town of Totnes. With the help of local...
9. People Like Us
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know someone who’s fallen down the rabbit hole? During the investigation, Marianna’s inbox has been filled with messages from people sharin...
8. The Science Of Conspiracy
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could people in the UK conspiracy theory movement ever become violent? Returning to the UK, BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna...
7. After An Attempted Coup
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can the UK learn from Germany? In Berlin, BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring meets a whistleblower who stopped wri...
6. German Conspiracyland
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why are journalists being attacked in Germany? Marianna travels to Berlin to meet a journalist called Jorg who’s been covering the conspiracy theory...
5. Follow The Money
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who is funding this UK conspiracy theory newspaper? Flicking through the pages of The Light, Marianna is drawn to the adverts that populate its back p...
4. The Conspiracy Theory Newspaper
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who is the man behind The Light? BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring tracks down the editor of the conspiracy theory new...
3. Trestle Tables for Truth
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Where does all the anger come from? As Marianna delves further down the rabbit-hole, she finds herself in the alternative medicine clinic of one Totne...
2. Down The Rabbit Hole
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do those in the movement believe? And why? BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring continues her investigation into Tot...
1. Entering Conspiracyland
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What’s happening in the Devon town of Totnes? The small town of Totnes in Devon is known for its warmth and open-mindedness, gong baths and healing ...
Introducing... Marianna in Conspiracyland
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happened to the people who fell down the rabbit hole into a world of conspiracy theories? How far have they fallen – and how far will they go? ...
Bonus: Remember My Name
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna Spring returns to her investigation into conspiracy theories about UK terror attack victims, and reports on moves to hold those responsible f...
10. The Billion Dollar Question
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
News breaks of a landmark US court ruling about the Sandy Hook shooting, raising the hopes of victims of conspiracy theories in the UK, in their own s...
9. What They Don’t Tell You About Terror
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Travis survived the Westminster Bridge attack, but he didn’t expect what came next. Are victims of terrorism taken seriously enough when they seek h...
8. I Was a Conspiracy Theorist... Get Me Out of Here!
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brent has disavowed the toxic conspiracy theories he helped create about the 7/7 London terror attacks. But what will happen when he meets a survivor?...
7. I Helped Bring Down Alex Jones
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rob tried to stop his Infowars colleagues spreading conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook shooting. Now his testimony has helped hold his former bo...
6. The Visitor
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The visitor to Lisa’s boatyard appeared to be an ordinary customer. But, she was horrified to later discover the real reason he had turned up at her...
5. Who Believes This Stuff?
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How widespread is the belief in conspiracy theories that falsely claim UK terror attacks are faked? Marianna Spring reveals the results of a survey ca...
4. Hall’s Stall
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna Spring finally comes face to face with Richard D Hall. Will she be able to get answers for the terror survivors targeted by his conspiracy th...
3. The Insider
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What sort of person spreads false claims about survivors of terror attacks? An unexpected source gives Marianna Spring the inside track on conspiracy ...
2. Sharpening the Spike
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Martin and his daughter suffered life-changing injuries in the Manchester Arena bombing, but one conspiracy theorist claims to have gone to great leng...
1. Darkness in the Glade of Light
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Daren is haunted by his experience of the Manchester Arena bombing. So why do people taunt him with conspiracy theories which falsely claim the attack...
Introducing... Disaster Trolls
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when tragedy makes you a target? Why would anybody accuse terrorism survivors of being liars and “crisis actors”?The BBC’s disinfor...
9. Roddy: 'We don’t trust the media, so we became it'
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Citizen journalism – reporting by self-taught people, often on the ground - can play a vital role in the coverage of conflict. However, not everyone...
8. Tetyana: ‘My son is the Snake Island hero’
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the first day of the war, Ukraine gained a new patriotic hero and Tetyana thought she had lost a son. But the story wasn't quite as it first seemed...
7. Sergei: ‘It’s my duty to keep telling Russians the truth’
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After Russia’s first independent radio station was taken off air by the Kremlin, the journalists who worked there are finding ways to get round cens...
6. The View from the Other Side
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna Vishegirskaya is the pregnant woman who has unwittingly found herself at the centre of one of the most disputed events of the war.In a previo...
5. Rob: ‘Covid was a hoax, and so is the war’
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does the invasion of Ukraine have in common with the coronavirus pandemic?On the face of it not much at all, but disinformation about the war is ...
4. One Baby, Three Photos, and a Web of Lies
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Russia bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol, it claimed that a wounded pregnant woman was faking it. Her friends told us something different. ...
3. Masha: The Influencer Who is a Secret Weapon
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Masha is one of the most famous faces on Ukrainian TV and a huge social media star.But the Russian-speaking celebrity has taken on a new role. Her Ins...
2. Maxim: Homeless and Trolled
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When social media star Maxim was shelled out of his home, he didn’t expect to be called a liar by some of his followers. But did the hostility come ...
1. Kristina: ‘My cousin thinks we’re bombing ourselves’
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when you’re Ukrainian and your cousin in Russia refuses to believe her country is attacking your home?After spending days huddled in ...
Introducing... War on Truth
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s fake, what’s real? Stories from the information war over Ukraine. BBC disinformation reporter Marianna Spring speaks to people caught up in...
10. Light and Dark
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As Gary is remembered by those he left behind, what does his story tell us about the world we live in – online and off – right now? Gary Matthews ...
9. The Conspiracist Mindset
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna asks what we get wrong about people who are drawn to conspiracy theories – and finds out who's really at risk of falling down the rabbit ho...
8. Tracking the Timeline
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna looks at the role that social media played in pushing Gary towards conspiracy theories. Gary Matthews was a talented artist and photographer,...
7. Gary's Final Days
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna examines new evidence and fills in the gaps of Gary’s last days. Gary Matthews was a talented artist and photographer, sociable and well-li...
6. Tristan's Quest
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Filmmaker Tristan hears about the death of his cousin Gary. Seeking to understand what happened, Tristan returns to Shrewsbury, where he encounters Ch...
5. Reflections in the Glass
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gary’s death is covered in the local media – and online, the information battle heats up. Gary Matthews was a talented artist and photographer, so...
4. Charlie
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna meets Charlie Parker, the man who ran the Facebook group Gary was in before he died. Gary Matthews was a talented artist and photographer, so...
3. The Protest
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marianna goes to a rally on the invitation of a man who believes strange things about Covid. Gary Matthews was a talented artist and photographer, soc...
2. Fleeing a Virus
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two of Gary’s closest friends give us the inside story of his journey towards conspiracy theories. Gary Matthews was a talented artist and photograp...
1. A Magical Town
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Matthews was into conspiracy theories - until he caught Covid and died. What role did falsehoods play in his death? BBC disinformation reporter M...
Introducing... Death by Conspiracy?
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Matthews was a talented artist and photographer, sociable and well-liked - a familiar face in his hometown of Shrewsbury. A few years ago, his fr...