Top Comment

BBC

Discover what's behind the content flooding your feed.

Top Comment is a brand new BBC podcast which sheds light on the darkest corners of the internet. Every week, Matt and Marianna unpack a range of viral topics from controversial influencers and the clipping economy, to murky crypto operations, prediction markets, and even information warfare. Follow us inside the algorithm as we expose the inner workings of the most popular platforms, and explain how tech giants are shaping the way we see the world.

LISTEN: Listen to Top Comment every Thursday on BBC Sounds.

GET IN TOUCH: - WhatsApp: +44 330 123 9480 - Email: topcomment@bbc.co.uk - Or send us a DM!

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91 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes91

Newest first

Feb 20, 2024 · 28 min
Why Do You Hate Me?: 4. I Received Online Death Threats And The Premier League Caught My Troll
How a Premier League unit tracked down the troll who threatened the player and his family.
Feb 13, 2024 · 28 min
Why Do You Hate Me?: 3. Sadiq Khan: I Didn’t Say That!
How faked audio of London's mayor inflamed hate on social media and tensions offline.
Jan 30, 2024 · 28 min
Why Do You Hate Me?: 2. I Believed Conspiracies About The Shooting I Survived
How the survivor of a mass shooting in Las Vegas fell into a world of conspiracy theories
Jan 30, 2024 · 29 min
Why Do You Hate Me?: 1. I Regret Posting Online That I Was Madeleine McCann
The woman who went viral for claiming to be Madeleine McCann explains her motives
Jan 16, 2024 · 2 min
Why Do You Hate Me?: Introducing... Why Do You Hate Me?
Marianna Spring investigates different extraordinary cases of online hate.
Aug 6, 2023 · 18 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: Bonus: Irish Conspiracyland
Can you hold papers sharing disinformation and hate to account?
Jul 4, 2023 · 40 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: Bonus: Frontlines of Conspiracyland
What are the obstacles that stand between journalists and the truth?
Jun 30, 2023 · 13 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 10. A Risk That’s Impossible To Ignore
What will happen next in Conspiracyland?
Jun 30, 2023 · 14 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 9. People Like Us
Do you know someone who’s fallen down the rabbit hole?
Jun 28, 2023 · 13 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 8. The Science Of Conspiracy
Could people in the UK conspiracy theory movement ever become violent?
Jun 26, 2023 · 14 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 7. After An Attempted Coup
What can the UK learn from Germany?
Jun 23, 2023 · 12 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 6. German Conspiracyland
Why are journalists being attacked in Germany?
Jun 21, 2023 · 13 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 5. Follow The Money
Who is funding this conspiracy theory newspaper?
Jun 19, 2023 · 13 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 4. The Conspiracy Theory Newspaper
Who is the man behind The Light?
Jun 12, 2023 · 15 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 3. Trestle Tables for Truth
Where does all the anger come from?
Jun 12, 2023 · 14 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 2. Down The Rabbit Hole
What do those in the movement believe? And why?
Jun 12, 2023 · 14 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 1. Entering Conspiracyland
What’s happening in the Devon town of Totnes?
Jun 5, 2023 · 4 min
Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: Introducing... Marianna in Conspiracyland
What happened to the people who fell down the rabbit hole?
Apr 3, 2023 · 28 min
Disaster Trolls: Bonus: Remember My Name
Marianna Spring revisits her investigation into conspiracy theories about terror attacks.
Oct 30, 2022 · 16 min
Disaster Trolls: 10. The Billion Dollar Question
A landmark US court ruling gives hope to victims of conspiracy theories in the UK.

Top Comment

Why Do You Hate Me?: 4. I Received Online Death Threats And The Premier League Caught My Troll

Why Do You Hate Me?: 3. Sadiq Khan: I Didn’t Say That!

Why Do You Hate Me?: 2. I Believed Conspiracies About The Shooting I Survived

Why Do You Hate Me?: 1. I Regret Posting Online That I Was Madeleine McCann

Why Do You Hate Me?: Introducing... Why Do You Hate Me?

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: Bonus: Irish Conspiracyland

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: Bonus: Frontlines of Conspiracyland

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 10. A Risk That’s Impossible To Ignore

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 9. People Like Us

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 8. The Science Of Conspiracy

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 7. After An Attempted Coup

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 6. German Conspiracyland

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 5. Follow The Money

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 4. The Conspiracy Theory Newspaper

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 3. Trestle Tables for Truth

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 2. Down The Rabbit Hole

Marianna in Conspiracyland 1: 1. Entering Conspiracyland

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

Disaster Trolls: Bonus: Remember My Name

Disaster Trolls: 10. The Billion Dollar Question