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One woman’s escape from the rabbit hole

Episode 5 of 8

Catherine didn’t have much to do with mainstream medicine. Social media pushed her down a rabbit hole – but also dragged her back out again.

Catherine’s family believed in alternative medicine and she grew up in relatively poor, fringe communities that didn’t have much to do with mainstream science or Britain’s national health system. And when social media became a big part of her life, she started believing in all sorts of wild conspiracy theories.

But when she slowly realised that she was being conned by some of the pseudoscientists and charlatans she had put her trust in, she started to turn a sceptical eye on her online sources.

Catherine now lives a quiet life in southern England with her family, gardening and selling clothes at festivals. She also dedicates her free time to spreading reliable information about medicine and science online. It’s a mission that’s become ever more urgent throughout the global pandemic. Her story gives us insight into why people fall victim to anti-vaccine conspiracy theories - and what can help them to get out.

Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Joseph Martin

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28 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sat 17 Apr 2021 04:32GMT
  • Sat 17 Apr 2021 17:32GMT
  • Sat 17 Apr 2021 22:32GMT
  • Sat 17 Apr 2021 23:32GMT
  • Sun 18 Apr 2021 00:32GMT
  • Sun 18 Apr 2021 18:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Apr 2021 09:32GMT

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