Podcast · 45 episodes
Top Comment, page 2
by BBC · English
The story behind your social media feed, from BBC 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. You can also hear Marianna's previous series for the BBC in this feed, including Marianna in Conspiracyland, Why Do You Hate Me?, Disaster Trolls, Death by Conspiracy? and War on Truth.
All episodes, page 2
Belfast, Henry Nowak, and how Grok is supercharging misinfoThe episode argues that X’s design and its AI chatbot Grok are accelerating misinformation that can trigger real-world violence and scams.11 Jun 2026 · 35 min · 15 chapters
Is Hasan Piker NSFW now? And Tung Tung's generational runThe episode covers two main stories: (1) the UK government denying entry to left-wing creators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker, and the broader “free speech vs public good” debate; (2) the “Italian brain…5 Jun 2026 · 30 min · 19 chapters
Sleuth wars, incels in STEM, and just want Harambe backThe episode of BBC’s “Top Comment” uses internet “sleuthing” to examine three viral stories.29 May 2026 · 26 min · 8 chapters
Why you're wrong about Palantir, and TL;DR TolkienThe episode argues that online discourse about Palantir is often driven by “evil” narratives and founders’ politics rather than verified facts, while also warning about how opaque surveillance/AI…22 May 2026 · 27 min · 15 chapters
BONUS: Taylor Lorenz says "don't blame social media"Taylor Lorenz argues “don’t blame social media” for youth mental-health harms, calling much of the regulation push a moral panic.19 May 2026 · 42 min · 18 chapters
Decline porn (part II), VPN patriotism, and Charli XCX's finsta drop“Top Comment” discusses (1) AI “decline porn” and “foreign patriot” pages that appear UK-based but are run abroad, spreading anti-immigration misinformation; (2) how AI helps influence operations;…15 May 2026 · 25 min · 11 chapters
Dare Market, hantavirus, and wtf is going on at JPMorgan?A BBC “Top Comment” episode covering (1) Dare Market, a site that pays people to complete “dares” and post proof videos; (2) “industry plants” and fake hype campaigns in indie music; and (3) the…8 May 2026 · 33 min · 16 chapters
Shooting conspiracies, breakup texts, and Dana White's cortisol spikeHow viral misinformation spreads after major events—covering (1) conspiracy theories about Lyme disease/ticks and vaccines, (2) coordinated MAGA messaging about a “ballroom” after the White House…1 May 2026 · 26 min · 11 chapters
BONUS: Live at Maida Vale StudiosThis bonus episode of Top Comment is a behind-the-scenes live discussion about how social media content is distorted by algorithms and how it can distort or even generate real-world events.28 Apr 2026 · 28 min · 16 chapters
Haley Beck explained, and the crypto operation hijacking the BBC(1) TikTok “Beckstein files” turning police evidence about teacher Haley Beck into viral gossip; (2) AI-generated fake BBC-style news used to drive clicks to a crypto product.24 Apr 2026 · 22 min · 13 chapters
Coachella, GRWM fakers, and Justin Bieber is chronically onlineHow social media “fills the vacuum” during breaking news and turns it into propaganda, rage, and engagement; plus how influencer culture makes events like Coachella feel fake, including AI…17 Apr 2026 · 24 min · 11 chapters
Iran, slopaganda, and the lego-inspired creator behind it allThe episode discusses Iran’s viral “AI war slopaganda” videos made with Lego figurines, and whether they’re state-linked.11 Apr 2026 · 25 min · 14 chapters
Misogyny, boomers, and China just got KrissedThe episode links “boomer” internet moments to a broader story about misogyny evolving online, especially through AI image abuse and misinformation.3 Apr 2026 · 30 min · 12 chapters
Meta, YouTube, and a damning addiction verdictThe episode covers two main stories: a California court verdict and the rise of AI influencers.27 Mar 2026 · 29 min · 14 chapters
Whistleblowers, dolphin memes, and a million dollar toiletA BBC investigation into how social-media recommendation algorithms and “engagement arms races” amplify harmful content, plus a discussion of emerging “meat layer” AI (human labor behind AI agents),…20 Mar 2026 · 31 min · 18 chapters
Nancy Guthrie, TikTok sleuths, and Starmer's cringeposting eraThe episode examines two linked phenomena: how TikTok shapes political communication (and why some politicians look authentic while others look “cringe”), and how “internet sleuths” respond to…13 Mar 2026 · 31 min · 13 chapters
School wars, Dubai's crisis PR, and is Fabrizio cancelled?“Red vs Blue” school-fight posts, whether they’re a “phantom trend,” how panic escalated real-world policing; Dubai influencer messaging during the Middle East conflict; and whether football…6 Mar 2026 · 28 min · 16 chapters
Kalshi, Polymarket, and gamifying the futureThe episode argues that prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket) and social-media dynamics are “gamifying” real-world outcomes, creating incentives for manipulation and misinformation.27 Feb 2026 · 35 min · 16 chapters
Decline porn explained, and why Clavicular is misunderstoodThe episode explains “decline porn”: social media videos that distort cities (often liberal, diverse ones) to seem unsafe or in decay, using AI edits and selective real-world footage to provoke…20 Feb 2026 · 32 min · 17 chapters
Introducing... Top CommentIntro to BBC’s new podcast “Top Comment,” focused on investigating and analyzing conspiracy theories, disinformation, internet culture, AI, crypto, and influential tech figures as they shape what…19 Feb 2026 · 2 min · 1 chapter
Marianna in Conspiracyland 2: 6. The InquestThe Maidstone coroner’s inquest into the death of Paloma Shemarani, a 2024 non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient who refused chemotherapy.2 Oct 2025 · 30 min · 12 chapters