Top Comment Podcast
Investigating what's blowing up online, and decoding your feed.
The story behind your social media feed, from 麻豆社 correspondent Marianna Spring and investigative journalist Matt Shea.
Top Comment investigates what's blowing up online. From global events that go viral across social media, to bizarre moments that spill into real life, Marianna and Matt unpack the trends, theories and digital chaos shaping our world.
If you want to get in touch about something you saw when scrolling, our email address is topcomment@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.
You can also hear Marianna's previous series for the 麻豆社 in this feed, including Marianna in Conspiracyland, Why Do You Hate Me?, Disaster Trolls, Death by Conspiracy? and War on Truth.
Episodes to download
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5. I Went Inside The World Of The Trolled And The Troll—Why Do You Hate Me?
Wed 28 Feb 2024
Marianna investigates online abuse targeting Eni Aluko and tracks down one of her trolls.
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4. I Received Online Death Threats And The Premier League Caught My Troll—Why Do You Hate Me?
Wed 21 Feb 2024
How a Premier League unit tracked down the troll who threatened the player and his family.
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3. Sadiq Khan: I Didn鈥檛 Say That!—Why Do You Hate Me?
Wed 14 Feb 2024
How faked audio of London's mayor inflamed hate on social media and tensions offline.
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2. I Believed Conspiracies About The Shooting I Survived—Why Do You Hate Me?
Wed 7 Feb 2024
How the survivor of a mass shooting in Las Vegas fell into a world of conspiracy theories
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1. I Regret Posting Online That I Was Madeleine McCann—Why Do You Hate Me?
Wed 31 Jan 2024
The woman who went viral for claiming to be Madeleine McCann explains her motives
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Introducing... Why Do You Hate Me?—Why Do You Hate Me?
Thu 11 Jan 2024
Marianna Spring investigates different extraordinary cases of online hate.
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Bonus: Irish Conspiracyland—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Sun 6 Aug 2023
Can you hold papers sharing disinformation and hate to account?
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Bonus: Frontlines of Conspiracyland—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Tue 4 Jul 2023
What are the obstacles that stand between journalists and the truth?
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10. A Risk That鈥檚 Impossible To Ignore—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
What will happen next in Conspiracyland?
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9. People Like Us—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
Do you know someone who鈥檚 fallen down the rabbit hole?
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8. The Science Of Conspiracy—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
Could people in the UK conspiracy theory movement ever become violent?
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7. After An Attempted Coup—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
What can the UK learn from Germany?
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6. German Conspiracyland—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
Why are journalists being attacked in Germany?
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5. Follow The Money—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
Who is funding this conspiracy theory newspaper?
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4. The Conspiracy Theory Newspaper—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
Who is the man behind The Light?
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3. Trestle Tables for Truth—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
Where does all the anger come from?
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2. Down The Rabbit Hole—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
What do those in the movement believe? And why?
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1. Entering Conspiracyland—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 12 Jun 2023
What鈥檚 happening in the Devon town of Totnes?
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Introducing... Marianna in Conspiracyland—Marianna in Conspiracyland 1
Mon 5 Jun 2023
What happened to the people who fell down the rabbit hole?
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Bonus: Remember My Name—Disaster Trolls
Sun 5 Mar 2023
Marianna Spring revisits her investigation into conspiracy theories about terror attacks.
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10. The Billion Dollar Question—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
A landmark US court ruling gives hope to victims of conspiracy theories in the UK.
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9. What They Don鈥檛 Tell You About Terror—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
Are terror survivors taken seriously when they seek help against abusive trolling?
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8. I Was a Conspiracy Theorist... Get Me Out of Here!—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
Brent disavows the toxic conspiracy theories he helped create, but can Paul forgive him?
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7. I Helped Bring Down Alex Jones—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
The Infowars employee whose testimony helped Sandy Hook parents win huge damages.
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6. The Visitor—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
He said he was a customer, but the visitor to Lisa鈥檚 boatyard hid his real intentions.
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5. Who Believes This Stuff?—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
How widespread is the belief that major terror attacks in the UK are faked?
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4. Hall鈥檚 Stall—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
Marianna Spring finally meets the conspiracy theorist at the heart of her investigation.
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3. The Insider—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
An unexpected source provides an insight into a leading conspiracy theorist.
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2. Sharpening the Spike—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
The conspiracy show host who tried to prove a teenage bomb victim wasn鈥檛 injured.
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1. Darkness in the Glade of Light—Disaster Trolls
Mon 31 Oct 2022
Daren can鈥檛 forget that night at the Manchester Arena. So who claims it never happened?
