Influential Podcasts Fuel ‘Harmful’ Health Misinformation
Peddling Unsubstantiated Claims
Unfounded cancer cures, dubious anti-vaccine narratives, and false claims that neurological disorders can be “reversed” through diets – influential American and European podcasters are peddling harmful health misinformation while largely escaping scrutiny, researchers say.
The problem will come under the spotlight this week as Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic with a longstanding reputation of promoting health misinformation, faces US Senate grilling over his nomination to be President Donald Trump’s health secretary.
Falsehoods on Podcasts Go Unchecked
Falsehoods on podcasts, which experts warn are fuelling mistrust in conventional medicine, often go unchecked as fact-checkers must sift through hours of transcripts. They can quickly be amplified when short clips extracted from podcasts ricochet across social media.
Case Study: Mel Gibson’s Cancer Claim
Earlier this month, actor and director Mel Gibson said on the Joe Rogan Experience – the number two podcast on Spotify in the US – that some of his friends had overcome stage four cancer after taking the antiparasitic drugs ivermectin and fenbendazole. The Canadian cancer society said those treatments were “not scientifically proven,” adding that such misinformation was “dangerous” as it gives false hope to people battling the disease.
A Study on Unsubstantiated Claims
A study by Valerie Wirtschafter, a fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, examined over 36,000 episodes produced by 79 prominent podcasters. It found that one out of every 20 episodes – and more than 70% of those podcasters – included at least one “unsubstantiated or false claim.”
Prominent Podcasters’ Role in Spreading Misinformation
In December, a BBC investigation found that prominent host Steven Bartlett was amplifying health misinformation on “Diary of a CEO,” his top-ranked podcast on Spotify. Its analysis of 15 health-related episodes found that each contained an average of 14 “harmful health claims.”
Financial Incentives to Amplify Misinformation
Podcasts reaching millions of listeners are a lucrative business, with Bartlett telling UK media his show was expected to generate £20 million (US$25 million) last year, mainly from advertising. Some leading podcasters regularly featuring guests accused of undermining evidence-based medicine – and failing to challenge them – have created financial incentives to amplify misinformation, experts say.
Calls for Regulation
Researchers say the medium, which has also strongly influenced political discourse, has long been poorly regulated for accuracy. In a rare action in 2023, YouTube removed a video of podcaster Jordan Peterson interviewing Kennedy for violating its policy prohibiting vaccine misinformation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, influential podcasts have become a breeding ground for harmful health misinformation, often going unchecked by fact-checkers and amplifying false claims across social media. As the popularity of podcasts continues to soar, it is crucial that we think about how to ensure a duty of care towards users while preserving some of the creative freedoms that the medium allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
* What is the scope of the problem? Unsubstantiated health claims made by influential podcasters, often going unchecked and spreading across social media.
* Who is affected? Millions of listeners of influential podcasts, including those who may be seeking accurate health information.
* What are the consequences? Mistrust in conventional medicine, potentially leading to harm to individuals and public health.
* What can be done? Regulating the medium for accuracy, ensuring fact-checking, and promoting evidence-based information.