Anti-vax lies - becoming an agony aunt to broken families
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ specialist disinformation reporter Marianna Spring shares how she's become something of an 'agony aunt' to people desperate about loved ones caught up in conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories about coronavirus have flooded social media since March last year - spilling over into street protests, destroying relationships and endangering lives in the process.
Marianna Spring has been covering these controversial stories for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ as our specialist disinformation reporter. As a result, she’s found herself the target of extreme abuse and threats online. But she’s also become something of an agony aunt - contacted by people desperate about loved ones caught up in the conspiracy theory rabbit hole.
In this episode of 5 Minutes On, Marianna shares her conversation with Sebastian, the son of former nurse and conspiracy theory influencer Kate Shemirani. And she gives us a glimpse of the realities of reporting from the frontline of online disinformation.
(Photo credit: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ)
