Last updated September 12, 2024 – 3:38pm
All of Marianna Spring's Radio 4 and BBC Sounds investigative series will be available on BBC Sounds' new podcast feed, Marianna in Conspiracyland.
Marianna, our disinformation and social media correspondent, is heading to the US for the second series of Why Do You Hate Me.
In a new series, she explores the social media backdrop to the US presidential election, examining various online phenomena and instances of hate and how they may affect how people vote.
Marianna travels from Colorado to Baltimore to New York, tracking the victims and perpetrators of harm on social media. She investigates everything from extreme hate targeted at officials and students, to online fandom, deepfakes, and harmful conspiracy theories.
Marianna says, “This is an election year, but we've come to realise that elections don't just take place online. Instead, social media plays a vital role in how we live and how we vote. In other words, this is a social media world, and elections are very much lived in it.”
“I think it's important to track down and meet with the real people behind the online profiles that are being accused of spreading conspiracy theories, hatred and disinformation, and the people who have been affected by it.”
Leanne Roberts, commissioner for podcasts and formats, added: “It’s always exciting when Marianna brings new investigations to Radio 4.
“She's been traveling all over the country for this election because it's important to hear from the voters themselves, why they believe that and where the influence comes from. Stay tuned for another fascinating journey down the sinister rabbit hole of social media.”
The first two episodes of Why Do You Hate Me will be available on BBC Sounds on Monday September 23. Episodes will air every weekday at 4.30pm on BBC Radio 4 and then on BBC Sounds.
