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QAnon and on and on Jul 25, 2020

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It’s bursting into the mainstream – a bizarre conspiracy theory that casts US President Donald Trump as its hero.

QAnon claims that the president is secretly fighting a cabal of high-placed paedophiles in Hollywood and the so-called “deep state”. But why has it had an apparent surge in popularity during the global pandemic?

Since it first emerged in an anonymous post on an online message board in 2017, QAnon has developed into a movement which is now making inroads into the American political psyche.

However, many families of QAnon followers feel they have lost their relatives to a dangerous cult. Several people have been arrested plotting attacks while seemingly under the influence of the conspiracy theory.

This week Twitter banned thousands of QAnon-themed accounts, but it’s likely that at least one adherent will enter the US Congress after elections in November.

What role might this strange belief system play in US politics?

Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Stephanie Hegarty

Picture caption: A man in a crowd flashes a QAnon T-shirt Picture credit: Getty Images

The online heroes of the coronavirus pandemic Jul 18, 2020

Show notes

They’re going viral for all the right reasons. Health care workers, scientists and experts have been spreading sound facts and solid advice about coronavirus.

It’s a push back against all the misinformation, speculation and conspiracy theories that have been swirling around about the pandemic. In this programme we’ll meet four Covid-19 information heroes – from India, the US, and the UK. Each comes from a different background, and they all have different motivations driving what they’re doing online. So what are their strategies for getting sound science to the public? And in a social media world fuelled by emotion, how do they reflect both the facts and the human toll of the disease?

Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Sean Allsop

Photo Caption: Illustration of a phone with a heart Photo Credit: Getty Images/BBC

How to talk about conspiracy theories Jul 11, 2020

Show notes

We’ve all been there – that awkward situation that happens over the dinner table or at a party, when someone starts talking about conspiracy theories. With the coronavirus pandemic has come a huge wave of novel online misinformation – including some outlandish ideas and panicky people who are buying into them. So what do you do when confronted with someone who starts spouting obvious falsehoods about “evil plots” and “deadly vaccines”? Trending brings together a man who’s been drawn towards social media’s fringes and an expert who studies the psychology of people who believe in conspiracy theories. What happened when they sat down for a socially distanced chat? Plus we give some tips on how to talk to people who are edging towards the rabbit hole.

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin Reporter: Marianna Spring

Photo caption: Woman wearing a mask looking at a computer screen Photo credit: Getty Images

Who spread the ‘5G coronavirus’ conspiracy theory? Jul 04, 2020

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In April, dozens of mobile phone towers were set on fire across Britain and demonstrators took to the streets to protest the rollout of 5G. They had the bizarre and entirely false idea that phone towers were somehow causing coronavirus.

Fake news and conspiracy theories were given a huge boost by the Covid-19 pandemic, and many of the whispers coalesced around politicians, scientists, and former Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates.

They weren’t true of course, so why did people believe them? We speak to protestors who were sucked into the rabbit hole - and question one of the key players responsible for spreading the myth.

Presenters: Mike Wendling and Marianna Spring

Photo caption: A mobile phone tower Photo credit: Getty Images

The scammers promising poison on Facebook Jun 27, 2020

Show notes

They seem to be selling a deadly chemical, and have no qualms about offering it to people who may be at risk of suicide. But is their business what it seems - or just an elaborate scam? A Trending investigation has uncovered dozens of pages claiming to sell a highly toxic substance that, in many countries, cannot be bought without a licence. While the substance has some industrial uses, the supposed sellers running these pages have their eyes on a different type of customer: someone looking online for a way to take their own life. Facebook says it won’t allow content on their platform that encourages suicide – yet some of these pages have been running for several years. Experts say they are a scam – but how exactly does it work? We went undercover to investigate the shadowy pages peddling deadly poison. If you are affected by the issues in this programme, you can find information about support organisations on the Befrienders Worldwide website: https://www.befrienders.org/ Presenter: Marco Silva (Photo caption: illustration of a smartphone showing a bottle of poison containing Facebook logos/ Photo credit: BBC)

Can viral videos stop police brutality? Jun 20, 2020

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It was a brutal killing which captured the attention of the US and the world. But the death of George Floyd wouldn’t have caused such an outcry if it hadn’t been captured on camera. The person who shot that famous video was 17-year-old Minneapolis resident Darnella Frazier. Her footage, along with other angles captured by other witnesses on that day in late May, galvanised a social media wave and prompted protests around the world. But are viral videos really an effective check on police abuse? We talk to the experts, look at the evidence – and talk to witnesses and people on the front lines of the protests. Presenter: Michael Wendling Reporter: Reha Kansara

Picture caption: A protest sign reading “No justice, no peace” Picture credit: Getty Images

The children’s video game that turned toxic Jun 13, 2020

Show notes

It’s full of garish colours and blocky animals. Club Penguin was a huge smash for Disney upon its release 15 years ago. And an unofficial version became an unlikely comeback hit during the coronavirus pandemic, with millions of new players.

But things have gone downhill quickly. The unofficial version is outside of the entertainment giant’s control, and a BBC investigation found that moderation is lax to non-existent. Cybersecurity correspondent Joe Tidy donned his undercover avatar and discovered widespread bullying, sexual content, and racist abuse.

Disney says it’s “appalled” by the unofficial version of the game and has ordered it to be shut down, and parents say it shouldn’t exist anymore. So how did Club Penguin turn sour?

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin Reporter: Joe Tidy Picture caption: A screengrab from the Club Penguin game Picture credit: Disney/Club Penguin Power down sound effect courtesy of qubodup.

Are Instagrammers ruining nature? Jun 06, 2020

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A beautiful shot in the wild can get thousands of likes – but some influencers are going too far. We speak to a nature lover who’s had enough. He says that disrespect of nature has risen alongside the popularity of social media. So he’s fighting fire with fire, with an Instagram account called Public Lands Hate You. His more than 70,000 followers and fans – and a host of similar accounts – call out influencers who damage national parks and break the rules of open spaces. Some Instagrammers are getting the message, and welcome the intervention. But Public Lands Hate You also has its fair share of opponents, with some saying it incites hate.

Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Sean Allsop

Photo caption: A woman takes a selfie in a field of wildflowers Photo credit: Getty Images

The human cost of viral misinformation May 30, 2020

Show notes

What’s the human cost of viral misinformation? In an exclusive report, we track the worldwide effects of bad information about coronavirus. Misleading info has led to deaths in the US, alcohol poisonings in Iran, drug overdoses in Nigeria and Vietnam, religious violence in India and arsons by people convinced by conspiracy theories. It’s a sobering tally of the human effects of so-called “fake news”. So what can we do to stop it? Presenter: Reha Kansara Reporter: Marianna Spring Picture caption: Brian Lee Hitchens believed conspiracy thoeries about coronavirus – until he and his wife became seriously ill with the disease. Picture credit: Brian Lee Hitchens

Inside the world of the meninists May 23, 2020

Show notes

On Facebook and Reddit, they’ve collected hundreds of thousands of members with their criticisms of feminism and campaigning on a range of gender issues.

We’ve visited the International Conference on Men’s Issues in Chicago to meet the internet personalities driving the men’s rights movement. They say they’re looking out for men and boys. But their critics claim this conference is just a “gathering of insecure and sexist man-babies”.

So what’s the truth - who are the men’s rights activists?

Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Jonathan Griffin

Picture credit: BBC

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