US podcast misinformation goes largely unchecked

Unlike social media platforms, podcasts offer little or no opportunity for listeners to comment or push back on misinformation. This 'makes it easier for false, misleading, or unsubstantiated content to spread with little oversight,' Brookings researchers said in their February report. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Rob Lever Misinformation about everything from election fraud to Covid-19 vaccines is reaching millions of Americans through a popular but opaque medium: podcasts.

Many podcasts – on-demand audio programs which users can listen to on smartphones – bluntly promote false and unproven claims.