The online world can be a breeding ground for hate. But why do some people behave the way they do on social media? In each episode, the BBC's Disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring - one of the most trolled BBC journalists - dives into her inbox and investigates a different extraordinary case of online hate to find out. She meets the people at the heart of these conflicts, and in some cases brings them together, to see if understanding - even forgiveness - is ever possible. Producers: Emma Close and Ben Carter
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Editor: Sam Bonham

Introducing....Why Do You Hate Me?

The online world can be a breeding ground for hate. But why do some people behave the way they do on social media? In each episode, the BBC's Disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring - one of the most trolled BBC journalists - dives into her inbox and investigates a different extraordinary case of online hate to find out. She meets the people at the heart of these conflicts, and in some cases brings them together, to see if understanding - even forgiveness - is ever possible.

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Have you ever been trapped in a group chat nightmare, either grabbing the popcorn or wondering how to leave without causing a scene? Who’s the admin in your family group, and do they wield that power responsibly? Do you ever wonder if it’s appropriate to use emojis when talking to your boss? The rise of instant messaging has made our social and professional lives faster, more casual — and more chaotic. But amid all the discussion of the effects of public social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, there has been relatively little attention paid to private social networks—the direct message and the group chat — and how they are shaping our relationships and our world. In this series, Helen Lewis looks at the secret world of instant messaging, meeting a woman who married a chatbot, discovering how Russian dissidents are fighting a propaganda war, and hearing the inside story of how Britain ended up governed from a single WhatsApp group. It’s a strange new world where workplace rebellions are conducted through duelling emojis and military secrets are traded on chat forums about a video game . It’s also a world where you can never be quite sure who you’re talking to—and who’s eavesdropping on you.

Introducing Helen Lewis Has Left The Chat

Marianna investigates online abuse targeting Eni Aluko and tracks down one of her trolls. In this series, Why Do You Hate Me?, Marianna Spring delves into her inbox to investigate extraordinary cases of online hate like this one. She meets the people at the heart of the conflicts, to see if understanding – even forgiveness is possible. In this episode, she speaks to former footballer Eni Aluko and investigates the wave of online abuse directed at her. Marianna tracks down one of the people behind the abusive messages to understand why they do it. If you have been affected by some of the issues raised in this programme, please visit bbc.co.uk/actionline. Host: Marianna Spring
Series Producer: Emma Close
Producer: Ben Carter
Editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

5. I Went Inside the World of the Trolled and the Troll

The Premier League has told the BBC it’s fighting a rise in social media threats against both its players and their families, with a team dedicated to hunting down online trolls. The BBC’s Disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring goes inside the team for the first time, talks to striker Neal Maupay about social media abuse - and tracks down the man they helped convict for threatening him. In this series, Why Do You Hate Me?, Marianna delves into her inbox to investigate extraordinary cases of online hate like this one. She meets the people at the heart of the conflicts, and in some cases brings them together, to see if understanding – even forgiveness – is ever possible. Subscribe to BBC Sounds to hear the episodes first. And watch the episodes on BBC iPlayer too. If you have been affected by some of the issues raised in this programme, please visit bbc.co.uk/actionline. Host: Marianna Spring
Series Producer: Emma Close
Producer: Ben Carter 
Editor: Sam Bonham 
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

4. I Received Online Death Threats and the Premier League Caught My Troll

Last November, a faked audio clip of London's mayor went viral. Marianna Spring talks to Sadiq Khan about the impact it had and tracks down it's suspected creator. The clip used artificial intelligence to create a replica of Mr Khan's voice saying words scripted by the faker, disparaging Remembrance weekend with an expletive and calling for pro-Palestinian marches to take precedence. In this series, Why Do You Hate Me?, Marianna Spring delves into her inbox to investigate extraordinary cases of online hate like this one. She meets the people at the heart of the conflicts, and in some cases brings them together, to see if understanding – and even forgiveness – is ever possible. Subscribe to BBC Sounds to hear the episodes first. And watch the episodes on BBC iPlayer too.  If you have been affected by some of the issues raised in this programme, please visit bbc.co.uk/actionline. Host: Marianna Spring
Series Producer: Emma Close
Producer: Ben Carter 
Editor: Sam Bonham 
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

3. Sadiq Khan: I Didn’t Say That!

The online world can be a breeding ground for hate. But why do some people behave the way they do on social media? In each episode, the BBC's Disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring - one of the most trolled BBC journalists - dives into her inbox and investigates a different extraordinary case of online hate to find out. She meets the people at the heart of these conflicts, and in some cases brings them together, to see if understanding - even forgiveness - is ever possible. You can listen to the first two episodes now on BBC Sounds and by listening to this trail you’ll get a sneak preview as to what’s coming up in the rest of the series. You can watch the episodes on BBC iPlayer too. If you have been affected by online abuse, please visit bbc.co.uk/actionline Host: Marianna Spring
Series Producer: Emma Close
Producer: Ben Carter 
Editor: Sam Bonham 
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge

Introducing....Why Do You Hate Me?

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