My Name Is Marianna Spring and Some of My Trolls Say They Want to Kill Me
Threats and abuse litter my social media feeds. They infect my everyday life. Sometimes the people behind the messages try to find me in person. This seems to be the price of venturing into the world of conspiracy theories, hate and algorithms. And it turns out, I am far from alone.
In 2020, I became the BBC's first disinformation and social media correspondent, and since then I have been trying to understand conspiracyland. Where does the vitriol come from? What drives otherwise reasonable people to believe that almost everything, from the worst attacks and wars to global health crises and climate change, is a hoax designed to kill or control millions of us?
In “Among the Trolls” I tell the first-hand stories of the trolls and the trolled, those behind the information battle that threatens not just the way society works, but also some of the qualities we value most about being human: respect, fairness, tolerance, integrity and kindness.
"An excellent piece of investigative journalism... For all the abuse she receives, you never find Spring demonising or humiliating conspiracy theorists; instead she highlights their inner struggles, fears and desires"
Julia Ebner, Telegraph
"Marianna Spring is one of the most talented journalists of her generation. Her journey through Conspiracyland shows in chilling detail why we should all be deeply concerned about trolls and conspiracy theorists... essential reading"
Jeremy Bowen
"This book is full of unbelievable nonsense. I am very grateful to Marianna Spring for her admirable attempts to defend us against it"
Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye
"A compelling guided tour of a dystopian underworld"
