13 episodes
Marianna in Conspiracyland BBC Radio 4
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- Society & Culture
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3.9 • 27 Ratings
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What happened to the people who fell down the rabbit hole into a world of conspiracy theories during the pandemic?
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Introducing Marianna in Conspiracyland
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. She 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?
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1. Entering Conspiracyland
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 crystals, but a fault line has emerged between the minority who’ve been drawn in by disinformation laced with hate and those who are fighting against it. Some in the town were drawn into a conspiracy theory movement during the pandemic, one whose monthly marches and rallies persist to this day. A conspiracy theory newspaper called The Light seems to have played a key part in the division there. BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring investigates how the theories that dominate its pages are changing the town.
Host: Marianna Spring
Producers: Philip Marzouk and Olivia Lace-Evans
Producer for BBC Radio 4 podcasts: Nathan Jones
Technical Producer: Alex Portfelix
Series producer: Emma Close
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioner: Rhian Roberts
New episodes released every few days. If you're in the UK, listen to the whole series first on BBC Sounds bbc.in/42x5sO5
And please get in touch with Marianna by emailing at: mariannainconspiracyland@bbc.co.uk. -
2. Down The Rabbit Hole
What do those in the movement believe? And why? BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring continues her investigation into Totnes’ conspiracy theory movement after hearing about one of its prominent members: an artist named Jason Liosatos. Meeting him in his gallery she learns more about some of his beliefs and what that indicates about the movement.
Host: Marianna Spring
Producers: Philip Marzouk and Olivia Lace-Evans
Producer for BBC Radio 4 podcasts: Nathan Jones
Technical Producer: Alex Portfelix
Series producer: Emma Close
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioner: Rhian Roberts
New episodes released every few days. If you're in the UK, listen to the whole series first on BBC Sounds bbc.in/42x5sO5
And please get in touch with Marianna by emailing at: mariannainconspiracyland@bbc.co.uk. -
3. Trestle Tables for Truth
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 of Totnes’ movement’s figureheads. He is one of the people behind a conspiracy-theory group in the town called the New World Alliance who are key to organising monthly rallies in the town and distributing The Light. Curiously Marianna finds herself invited along to one of the rallies to learn more about it and the people within it.
Host: Marianna Spring
Producers: Philip Marzouk and Olivia Lace-Evans
Producer for BBC Radio 4 podcasts: Nathan Jones
Technical Producer: Alex Portfelix
Series producer: Emma Close
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioner: Rhian Roberts
New episodes released every few days. If you're in the UK, listen to the whole series first on BBC Sounds bbc.in/42x5sO5
And please get in touch with Marianna by emailing at: mariannainconspiracyland@bbc.co.uk. -
4. The Conspiracy Theory Newspaper
Who is the man behind The Light? BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring tracks down the editor of the conspiracy theory newspaper, The Light. His name is Darren and he agrees to meet Marianna in a pub just outside Manchester for a dual interview in which she interviews him for the podcast and he interviews her. What answers will she get about the paper and the man at its helm?
Host: Marianna Spring
Producers: Philip Marzouk and Olivia Lace-Evans
Producer for BBC Radio 4 podcasts: Nathan Jones
Technical Producer: Alex Portfelix
Series producer: Emma Close
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioner: Rhian Roberts
New episodes released every few days. If you're in the UK, listen to the whole series first on BBC Sounds bbc.in/42x5sO5
And please get in touch with Marianna by emailing at: mariannainconspiracyland@bbc.co.uk. -
5. Follow the Money
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 pages. After the face-to-face encounter with the paper’s editor Darren she has more questions for the people involved in funding the paper. The advertisers. She manages to track down one: Iain, a property developer in Glastonbury. The two of them discuss wizards, goddesses, capital punishment and what motivates him to promote his business in The Light.
Host: Marianna Spring
Producers: Philip Marzouk and Olivia Lace-Evans
Producer for BBC Radio 4 podcasts: Nathan Jones
Technical Producer: Alex Portfelix
Series producer: Emma Close
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham
New episodes released every few days. If you're in the UK, listen to the whole series first on BBC Sounds bbc.in/42x5sO5
And please get in touch with Marianna by emailing at: mariannainconspiracyland@bbc.co.uk.
Customer Reviews
I’m losing interest in stories about crazy people…
This story went in too many directions and lost focus. Might have been more interesting to stay in Totnes and talk about the negative impacts that the mentally unstable people (who are “losing family and friends in their quest to make everyone “see the light””) have had on the community there. Series could have been shorter. At some point, I lose interest in psychologically fragile people who could not handle the Covid pandemic and coped by throwing fits and blaming random people based on elaborate conspiracies. plagues have tormented humans for thousands of years - LONG before the existence of the current government and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. No one managed the Covid pandemic perfectly because no one had lived thru Covid 19 before and no one knew what the future would bring. That certain people were unable to cope with this is a mental health issue.
Could’ve Done This One in Five Parts.
Unlike “Disaster Trolls,” “A Very British Cult,” “The New Gurus,” “Things Fell Apart,” and “The Coming Storm,” this BBC podcast on conspiracy theories spread itself a bit too thin. It’s a good place to start, though.
If it isn’t state approved it is a conspiracy theory.
Cover the Crown and the BOE if you want actual conspiracies. This is disinformation. When the state run media has a truth czar you know whatever they say is a lie to cover the crown.