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Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: Introducing... Marianna in Conspiracyland

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BBC

Tech News, News, Documentary, Society &Amp; Culture

2.8947 Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2023

⏱️ 4 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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? In this 10-part series, the BBC’s Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent Marianna Spring investigates the legacy left by the rise in conspiracy movements in the UK and the media machine at its heart. The movement's followers hold a range of different beliefs – which many would never act on - but there are others whose views seem to be becoming more radical. Marianna exposes how radical they have become and how action is spilling offline. At the extreme end, we’ve seen conspiracy-theory driven riots at the US Capitol and a coup-attempt foiled in Germany. But what’s happening in the UK? Host: Marianna Spring Series producer: Emma Close Producers: Philip Marzouk, Olivia Lace-Evans Producer for BBC Radio 4 podcasts: Nathan Jones Senior news editor: Sam Bonham Commissioner: Rhian Roberts

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts.

0:05.0

The small Devon Town of Totnes is known for its warmth and open-mindedness, but something has gone awry.

0:16.0

I've been shouted at the street, I've been accosted and had cameras shoved it up my nose

0:22.0

and had people drive their cars at me.

0:25.4

A fault line has emerged between the minority

0:27.6

who've been drawn in by disinformation laced with hate

0:30.8

and those who are fighting against it.

0:33.5

It's been a bit upsetting to have town where hippies

0:36.8

who you thought were friends of yours

0:37.9

have crossed very quickly with only the smallest of encouragement over to the far eye.

0:44.0

These are people who were gripped by conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic.

0:49.1

But now almost everything is a hoax.

0:52.0

They hold a range of different beliefs, which many would never

0:55.0

act on, but there are others whose views seem to be becoming more extreme.

0:59.4

The system's rotten at the core. It's a Frankenstein's monster system that's perpetuating

1:05.9

slavery. It should be crashed to its knees. It should be deleted.

1:14.0

They went down what we call the rabbit hole,

1:16.9

never once considering how they might get out again.

1:21.5

I and others here have spent so much of our time trying to save humanity,

1:23.5

trying to wait them up, trying to help them.

1:29.6

I'm Mariana Spring, the BBC's disinformation and social media correspondent.

1:35.1

And in this podcast, I'm venturing into Conspiracy Land,

...

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