Trending

How bad coronavirus info goes viral


Listen Later

There's a huge amount of misleading information circulating online about coronavirus - bad advice, conspiracy theories, dodgy health tips and more.

This week Trending delves into one specific viral post. It's a list of supposed facts about the virus and what you can do to protect yourself. Some of the tips are true, some are false but relatively harmless, and some are potentially dangerous.
The list was first put on Facebook in early February and has since been dubbed the "uncle with master's" degree post, because of the alleged source of the information.
It hopped from Singapore to India to England and has been sent to us by listeners all around the world who are rightfully suspicious of its contents. Along the way it mutated - it has incorporated new and more dangerous false information, and has been translated into at least half a dozen languages.
So who's behind the post and how did it spread? We get to the bottom of this mystery. And we give some crucial pointers about how you can avoid spreading bad information.
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Marianna Spring
With reporting by: Olga Robinson, BBC Monitoring
Photo: Photo illustration of social network logos and coronavirus
Photo credit: BBC

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

TrendingBy BBC World Service

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

44 ratings


More shows like Trending

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,681 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,043 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,425 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,787 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,786 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,091 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,916 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,178 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,186 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

729 Listeners