well, marianna spring joins me now in the studio.ndeterred, responding... joins me now in the studio. thank you so much for coming on newswatch. what are we talking about when we're talking about disinformation in news? i think it's really important to think about how disinformation tends to be deliberate misleading of people, promoting conspiracy theories or falsehoods that can cause serious real world harm, and a lot of the focus that i have in thisjob is understanding how disinformation spreads and how it affects people — particularly those who are targeted by it — falsehoods about the pandemic, the war in ukraine. these aren't fringe beliefs any more. these aren't sort of small internet forums where people are promoting conspiracies that, you know, a lot of people would think are quite extreme and they wouldn't believe — particularly after the pandemic, but also around other major global events, elections and more. disinformation is more common than ever, it's something that can proliferate and spread very rapidly, and it has a r

marianna spring, thank you so much. thank you for all your comments this week.il newswatch@bbc.co.uk, or you can find us on twitter @newswatchbbc. you can call us on 03700106676. and do have a look at our website — bbc.co.uk/newswatch. that's all from us — we'll be back to hear your thoughts about bbc news coverage again next week. goodbye. hello there. it was dry and sunny earlier today across many parts of the country but the weather will change this weekend. with all this cloud beckons coming in from the atlantic that will bring in some rain overnight into north—west scotland and then later heading into northern ireland. some clearer skies possible for a while, lighter winds in eastern england here it will be quite a chilly start to the weekend. but the winds are strengthening throughout saturday we have got more cloud coming in eastern england dry may be a little sunshine and some rain setting in across wales, western england moving northward to scotland still some rain at times in northern ireland. and the winds are strengthening may be touching gale force

marianna spring, _ five different phones? and tiktok. marianna spring, who _ five different phones?dn't, it was so bad. -- miss information. mark fincham _ it was so bad. -- miss information. mark fincham is _ it was so bad. -- miss information. mark fincham is running _ it was so bad. -- miss information. mark fincham is running to - it was so bad. -- miss information. mark fincham is running to be - it was so bad. -- miss information. mark fincham is running to be the. mark fincham is running to be the secretary of state in arizona and he says he would not have certified joe biden's 2020 election and has taken a hard line against what he called the influence affecting the scales of election justice. the influence affecting the scales of electionjustice. he the influence affecting the scales of election justice. he spoke to me to my documentary trump to come back. would you ever accept a democrat could win arizona or do you not think that's possible? i democrat could win arizona or do you not think that's possible?— not think that's possible? i have a hard time believing _ not thin

hi, richard, it's marianna spring from the bbc.questions? no, thank you. do you not want to talk about the evidence, talk about the. . .. no, no, em, no, idon't- want to talk about anything. i just wanted to ask you, about whether you really believe these theories, do you really believe that the uk terror attacks are staged, do you really believe that? and do you understand the harm that this can cause to to the victims who are survivors of these attacks, and who are at the heart of these theories that are being targeted? i've told you that i don't wish to speak to you. i i've told you why i don't wish to speak to you. i i don't trust the bbc. you're profiting from the worst day of these people's lives, do you do you realise that? how does that make you feel? well, if you read my book all the all the answers - are in there. but i have looked at your book, and in there are claims about the victims that are contrary to evidence. well, you're wrong, actually, but i don't wish to discuss iti any further cos i don't believe you'll repre

disinformation spreads online — and as the midterms approach, our specialist disinformation correspondent marianna springinvestigating what us voters are seeing via their social media feeds. she told me all about it. marianna, you have been investigating the kind of misinformation that us voters are seeing. what is the chief conspiracy theory that's circulating online as the mid—term elections are just a week away? i have been. and they way i've been able to monitor what different voters could be promoted on their social media feeds as there is through something called our undercover voters investigation. it's an investigation had been doing for the bbc�*s americast podcast. i created five different characters based on research from the pew research center. those characters have names and they live in different places and they are based in different locations all across the us and they set at different points on the us political spectrum, and i've been using those voters under the social media feeds i've set up for them across at the five main platforms to see just how they're targeted, once spurs to the

was undeterred, responding: well, marianna spring joins me now in the studio. believe that these disasters never took place. is there a danger at all in publicising those people, that you actually spread the conspiracy to new believers? it's a really important question and it's one that we discussed extensively when we were doing both the panorama and the podcast series because we have to think about how we can cover these topics ethically and responsibly, and whether we can cover them at all. and i think with this specific investigation, it really did come down to the survivors and centring our investigation around those survivors, who were being really seriously harmed by the tactics employed by some of the conspiracy theorists involved in this investigation. they were left feeling unsafe, they were left feeling frightened, and one of them said to me, "if you don't investigate this, "the harm continues for us. "it gets worse." and what's really interesting, i think, in response to the investigation is notjust the huge reaction to it — the number of people who

consequences for twitter in europe, here's our disinformation and social media correspondent, marianna springking closely with the eu or understanding those laws. it's just that it might be more difficult to uphold those kinds of things that they are required to do. find uphold those kinds of things that they are required to do.- they are required to do. and not 'ust that they are required to do. and not just that but _ they are required to do. and not just that but it _ they are required to do. and not just that but it sends _ they are required to do. and not just that but it sends out - they are required to do. and not just that but it sends out a - just that but it sends out a big signal a signal that elon musk has been sending out with his new version of twitter for the past few weeks now. which is that hate and disinformation and those kinds of harms online don't appear to be high up harms online don't appear to be high up on the priorities list, freedom of speech and those kinds of issues appear to be at the forefront of his new twitter. and we are seeing how signals like this but also d

the bbc�*s disinformation and social media correspondent marianna spring joins me from washington.le? i have been- one of _ midterms. one of you file? i have been. one of the _ midterms. one of you file? i have been. one of the things _ midterms. one of you file? i have been. one of the things i've i midterms. one of you file? i have been. one of the things i've been | been. one of the things i've been doing to investigate what voters could be sitting on the social media feedsis could be sitting on the social media feeds is actually to set up five undercover voters but that bad characters are created based on research from the pew research centre and they have social media profiles across five main sites. what i've been able to do using these five phones, which i got with me is integrate what each of them is being recommended, suggested and pushed on election night. and out today as well. what i've noticed overall and one of the big take away is narrative about rigged elections and claims that began back in 2020 but have continued to spread online and evolve. and it was set alight

judgment we have got marianna spring.characters i've created _ there are five characters i've created based on data and they each _ created based on data and they each have — created based on data and they each have social media profiles across — each have social media profiles across the _ each have social media profiles across the five main sites, facebook, instagram, twitter, youtuhe — facebook, instagram, twitter, youtube and tiktok. i have used them _ youtube and tiktok. i have used them to — youtube and tiktok. i have used them to see what us voters are recommended and targeted with in the _ recommended and targeted with in the build—up to midterms and tonight— in the build—up to midterms and tonight as — in the build—up to midterms and tonight as votes start coming in. tonight as votes start coming in |— tonight as votes start coming in. ~' ., , ., , in. i know you will bring in information _ in. i know you will bring in information on _ in. i know you will bring in information on that - in. i know you will bring i

marianna. yes, absolutely. needs the kristi, yahoo! you pursue your booster. her children, not in mind that we would have uncle bob settler dishes to come now the years, almost an almost going to spring meter store when you're losing it. you so much, melissa. just fill it out or did you know what he's been going to and from sheer dumpster when he was muscle versus the diesel? ah, ah, is, would you? yes, my name, but yes. a thank you for that much then. yeah, my, your senior a i business a don't come to the merchant. mm hm. you suddenly just wouldn't do it with your model. what is the to put you on them so you will be you just a zoomed out them last dance her a keyless flush out. cool. wind storm me. m dash riley's from nan to lower. do it in b. c. with your shane. you could keep the way in the police just kills of that. you know what to expect to be in order for us and maybe a diesel, you know, a cd on christy. pommy. b. keep doing some hazard like he's tired orders, concert place. quid. i've not much laurie. yeah, no problem. the either way, stop by the office really much time. it was cuz issues the words thrash, not eager is the media that me. she goes petroleum as a country. if th