IAB UK publishes ‘fake’ podcast in misinformation warning

The IAB UK has taken the unusual step of publishing a “fake” podcast episode in order to highlight the threat of fake news and misinformation on the Internet.

While the “Oh What Now” episode is most certainly real and available to download from the IAB UK’s regular podcast feed today, it features a fictional dialogue set in a dystopian future where fake news has taken hold and society is unravelling.

Set in 2031, free-to-access quality news journalism is a thing of the past and the UK is in the grip of a pervasive rumour that the European Union is poisoning food imports.

The digital advertising trade body has published the episode as part of its marketing for “Stay Engaged”, a series of audio sessions which has replaced its flagship Engage series this year due Covid-19 disruption.

James Chandler, the IAB UK’s CMO, said: “In 2021, free to access, professionally produced journalism is something we take for granted. While we’ve all heard the warnings about revenues and paywalls, we continue to scroll and share without necessarily considering the fact that, one day, things could be different.”

He added: “By immersing the listener in a dystopian future of rumour and polarisation, we want to deliver a wakeup call for our industry: without proper support and investment for ad funded publishers, this fiction could become a very scary reality.”

“Oh What Now” was written for IAB UK Stay Engaged by Jon Bradfield and produced by Ali Rezakhani.