46: Back to the Vax (w/Lydia Greene & Heather Simpson)

Our EP10 guest, Center for Countering Digital Hate founder, Imran Ahmed, has been bringing the heat. His “Disinformation Dozen” white paper made a huge splash, prompting a conference call with Nancy Pelosi’s team ahead of their biannual grilling of Zuckerberg and Dorsey. Ahmed’s paper spotlights the fact that 65% of anti-vax content originates from just 12 social media figures. Conspirituality superstars Sayer Ji, Kelly Brogan, and Christiane Northrup hold positions 8, 9, and 10. Ahmed wants them deplatformed—and he’s making it happen. In response, the Dozen are raising money and having themselves caricatured as superheroes.

Who have they been deceiving and emotionally abusing? This week Matthew interviews Heather Simpson and Lydia Greene from Back to the Vax, an anti-disinformation think-tank they founded after fleeing the online cult of anti-vax propaganda. In their first interview together, Simpson and Greene recount how mother-centered anti-vax social media spaces drew them in and exposed them to all manner of anxious conspiracism—and what it cost them to leave. They’ve got a very clear message about how public health communications can meet this entrenched challenge.

In the Ticker, Julian tracks the Dozen’s emerging strategy, Derek finally addresses the English elephant in the room, Russell Brand, and Matthew takes an early look at the big reveal of Cullen Hoback’s Q: Into the Storm on HBO.

Show Notes

What “Causes” Covid? The Virus or The System?

Decoding the Gurus: Russell Brand: Spiritual Transcendence and Anarchic Revolution is Praxis

Mike Rothschild on Hoback’s Q: Into the Storm

Episode 136: Into The Storm feat Cullen Hoback by QAnon Anonymous

I’m Cullen Hoback, the guy who made that QAnon series on HBO Max. AMA! : television

Rothschild on the HBO reveal: Ron Watkins QAnon: The Truth Has Always Been There

Back to the Vax

Lydia on NPR: She Resisted Getting Her Kids The Usual Vaccines. Then The Pandemic Hit

Heather on CNN: Why this former anti-vaxx influencer is getting the Covid vaccine