For Fact's Sake

Misogyny has existed throughout history, but in recent years a newly-packaged form has taken hold online, promoted by influencers and online communities with thousands of young, male followers including in Scotland.The Ferret hosted a panel discussion to discuss the issues, chaired by equality campaigner and researcher Talat Yaqoob, which we recorded for a special live For Fact's Sake podcast.On the panel were:Lisa Sugiura: Associate Professor in Cybercrime and Gender at the University of Portsmouth, and author of The Incel Rebellion: The Rise of the Manosphere and the Virtual War Against WomenClare Duffy: Playwright and founder of Civic Digits Theatre Company. Their new project, Many Good Men, examines the impact of incel culture and how young men can fight against it.Iain Corbett: Youth worker and participation advisor for Strathclyde University's Children and Young People's Centre for Justice. He has been leading “positive masculinity” workshops inside Polmont Young Offenders Institute, looking at what it means to be a 21st century man, so-called toxic masculinity, and online misogyny.Zero Tolerance: Scottish charity working to end men's violence against women through tackling gender inequality

There's only a week to go until the election, and things are hotting up!On this Election Cast, Ali and Paul delve into: The Scottish Labour manifestoNigel Farage's promise to leave the World Economic Forum (spoiler: we aren't a member).Why Keir Starmer and Jimmy Savile are being linked onlineThanks everyone for listening!Credits:Written and presented by Ali Brian and Paul DobsonProduced by Halina Rifai

For this week's election cast, Ali and Paul are looking into the claims which are impacting the campaign over the last seven days. Did the Scottish Government underspend its EU funding? Are there more people arriving in the UK than ever?How are Scottish chickens being caught up in the culture war?The answers to these questions lie within. Credits:Written and presented by Ali Brian and Paul DobsonProduced by Halina Rifai

The For Fact's Sake Election Cast is here! It's our special weekly election podcast, looking at the misinformation, conspiracies and culture war flashpoints that are impacting the campaign. For the first episode, Ali and Paul are looking at why the SNP were accused of misinformation for a claim about North Sea jobs. We also tackle the conspiracy theories that have been connected to protests against low emissions zones (LEZ) in Scotland, and delve into the controversy aroound Rishi Sunak's claim that every working family would be £2,000 worse off under Labour's plans. Credits:Written and presented by Ali Brian and Paul DobsonProduced by Halina Rifai

The election is upon us, and the For Fact's Sake podcast is back!Starting tomorrow, Ali and Paul will be hosting a weekly show until the election comes, covering fact checks, investigations and everything The Ferret is doing over the election period. We'll be explaining the conspiracies and culture war wedge issues that are impacting the political conversation, and revealing who is using their money and influence to sway voters in Scotland and the UK.

It's the final episode of our three-part For Fact's Sake series on elections. This week, we are looking at the biggest vote taking place in this election year: India. Ali and Paul spoke to Jency Jacob, the managing editor of BOOM, a fact checking organisation based in India and also covering Myanmar and Bangladesh. He explained the difficulties of fact-checking in an election that covers a billion potential voters, and the types of misinformation that voters in India encounter. We also have the second of our Conspiracy Dictionary segment, where Ali and Paul discuss chemtrails.

It's part two of our mini series on the election year. In this episode we spoke to Tori Marland, from Logically Facts, about the potential trends in disinformation that we will likely see in the election campaign in the UK. And in our new 'Truth Tracker' segment, we discuss what is really known about Kate Middleton amid the controversy around her health and whereabouts.

For Fact's Sake is back for a brand new series, kicking off with a special three-part look at the impact of misinformation on the upcoming elections this year. In the first episode, we spoke to Polly Curtis from think tank Demos about how AI could affect the general election, and democracy more widely. Demos has recently produced a report on the potential of AI to alter democracy. We also launched our newest feature, the Conspiracy Dictionary, with a look at the World Economic Forum (WEF)Show notes: Demos' report into AI impacts is here. Follow Polly Curtis on X here.More information on conspiracies surrounding the World Economic Forum and the Great Reset here.

It's the final For Fact's Sake podcast of the year, and we're focusing on the conflict in Gaza, where among the thousands of civilian deaths, scores of journalists have been killed.We speak to Fiona O'Brien from Reporters Without Borders about why so many journalists have been part of the tragic human toll of the Israeli attack on Gaza, and whether journalists in the area are being targeted by the military.She also explains how the killing of journalists in the region amplifies misinformation and inaccurate state narrratives about the war.Show notes:Reporters without Borders' work in Gaza can be seen here.Listen to our last podcast on misinformation in the conflict here.

On for Fact's Sake this week we're taking a look back to some historical misinformation - Scotland's witch trials. Ali and Paul speak to Dr Zoe Venditozzi, a writer and teacher who presents the Witches of Scotland podcast. She campaigns for posthumous pardons for those prosecuted for witchcraft in Scotland. We spoke about Scotland's witch trials, how the persecution was led from the top, and the parallels between the 'fake news' that drove women to be persecuted then and today's moral panics. Elsewhere on the pod, Ali looks at migration statistics, and we dig into 'detox' trends on social media. Show notes: Listen to all the episodes of the excellent Witches of Scotland podcast here. Find out more about the campaign here. Logically Facts have written a piece about 'detox baths' here.

On this week's edition of the For Fact's Sake podcast, Ali and Paul talk to Dr Ian Cawood from the University of Stirling about the long history of political sleaze in the UK. Ian explains the parallels between corruption in the early 19th century and today, how the Covid-19 pandemic sharpened the focus on scandal, and whether there is a higher bar for politicians losing their jobs than before.Elsewhere on the pod, Ali and Paul discuss the Rwanda migration plan and controversy over a cuddly octopus toy on University Challenge. Show notes: Dr Ian Cawood's piece in The Conversation about the history of sleaze can be found here: https://theconversation.com/a-history-of-british-political-sleaze-and-why-we-should-worry-about-the-johnson-government-160304

Populist leaders are gaining prominence across the globe, and Argentina is no different. Javier Milei, a self-described "anarcho-capitalist" who gained fame as a staple on Argentinian TV, is set to face-off against Peronist candidate Sergio Massa on November 19. He is an avowed admirer of Donald Trump, has been supported by Brazilian former president Jair Bolsonaro, and has used misinformation and wild claims to propel himself to the precipice of power.We spoke to Olivia Sohr from Argentinian fact-checkers Chequeado about his rise to power, his use of right-wing tropes, and how misinformation has helped to define the current election.Also on this week's pod, Ali and Paul discuss the Scottish Government WhatsApp controversy, and unpick the myth that alcohol warms you up. Show notes:

On For Fact's Sake this week, we are looking at the role of fact-checking in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Ali spoke to Lucy Swinnen, who is an editor at Bellingcat, which is using publicly available videos, images and data to tackle some of the propaganda and disinformation swirling around since October's escalation. But with so many people online now using publicly available footage to attempt to debunk narratives in the conflict, is there a danger that open-source investigation can be used to mislead?Elsewhere on the podcast, Ali and Paul look at Margaret Thatcher's alleged views on independence, and the disinformation spreading alongside bedbugs in France.

On episode 19 of For Fact's Sake, Paul talked to freelance journalist Sian Norris about her work exposing disinformation around abortion and reproductive rights. Sian explained the growing threat to abortion rights around the world, how anti-abortion rhetoric can act as a ‘gateway drug' into far-right and conspiracy views, and the pipeline that carries fringe views about reproductive rights from online spaces to the halls of power. Elsewhere, Ali explains why a recording of Keir Starmer from the Labour Party conference is almost certainly fake, and on Paul's Curiosity Corner the boys discuss claims that the Covid-19 vaccine was going to turn millions of Americans into zombies. Show notes: You can read more of Sian Norris' investigations on abortion and disinformation here and hereShe is also the author of Bodies Under Siege: How the Far-Right Attack on Reproductive Rights Went Global

On this week's edition of For Fact's Sake, Ali and Paul talked to Daniel Jolley from the University of Nottingham about how experiencing workplace bullying can make people more likely to believe in conspiracy theories.Daniel explained what psychologists consider conspiracy beliefs, the psychological impacts of bullying that can make people more prone to them, and why conspiracy theories are damaging to individuals as well as society at large. Elsewhere, the boys discussed the ban on XL bully dogs, and looked at Rishi Sunak's wild claim that Brits will soon need to have seven bins.

On this week's podcast we are talking online scams. Things have moved on from the generous Nigerian Prince offering to share his fortune with you, now there are lots of different ways that scammers can separate you from your money. Ali spoke to Professor Oli Buckley, cyber security expert at the University of East Anglia, about the state of scams today, and how artificial intelligence is used by scammers to play on your deepest fears and anxieties. Elsewhere on the podcast, Ali and Paul look at a Scottish Labour claim on child poverty, and examine the Tiktok phenomenom of mouth taping. Show notes:Oli Buckley has written about scams and AI here. Our child poverty fact check is here

An independent film released in the UK this week has taken the US box office by storm, but has run into controversy. Sound of Freedom is the story of anti-child trafficking campaigner Tim Ballard, who founded charity Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). But the credibility of the claims made by Ballard and the organisation he once led have been called into question, and troubling links have been unearthed with conspiracy theories perpetuated by the US far-right. Vice News journalists Anna Merlan and Tim Marchman have been digging into the facts behind Ballard and OUR for a number of years, and explained to Ali and Paul what is going on. Elsewhere on the podcast, we explain why Ferret Fact Service fact-checked a video about Patrick Harvie, and Ali's credibility is tested in an impromptu quiz.Show notes:Anna and Tim's work on OUR and Tim Ballard can be found here.Our fact check on the Patrick Harvie video is here.

As the World Cup reaches its climax, For Fact's Sake podcast looks at the abuse that some women footballers face online. We spoke to Dr Beth Fielding-Lloyd from Sheffield Hallam University, an expert on women's sport and its representations in media.She explained how abuse suffered by women footballers differs from men, how certain 'trigger' events can lead to misogynistic pile-ons, and why myths and misinformation about women's sport stoke the hateful abuse that athletes and pundits face.Elsewhere in the podcast, Ali and Paul look at a dodgy claim about the education attainmemt gap in Scotland, and have a look at some myths about dieting and exercise. Show notes:Dr Fielding-Lloyd's research on 'trigger events' that lead to pile-ons of gendered online abuse is here.Our fact check on the attainment gap is here.

After our fact-checking series, Scotland and the Climate Crisis, came to an end, Ali and Paul spoke to climate systems expert Professor Gabi Hegerl from the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.She explained how the climate is already being impacted by human-caused climate change, and how we can tell that the current impacts on the world are directly attributable to greenhouse gases pumped out by human activity. Then, in Paul's Curiosity Corner, we looked at the controversy over the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in London, and how some of the opposition has been hijacked by conspiracy theorists. Show notes: Professor Hegerl's University of Edinburgh research page.Our Scotland and the Climate Crisis work is here.

This week, The Ferret has been separating fact from fiction around climate change in our series, Scotland and the Climate Crisis.But false narratives are being pushed on social and more traditional media everyday, with hashtags like #ClimateScam being used on thousands of posts promoting climate denial and junk science.With the consequences of climate chage becoming more apparent, why is climate change scepticism so popular, and is it even increasing?We asked Mikey Biddlestone, a researcher from University College London, about how climate conspiracy beliefs develop, and why they might even be more likely as the effects of climate change become more obvious.Show notes:Mikey Biddlestone's Twitter is here. His article in The Conversation on how to combat climate misinformation is here. Check out the rest of Scotland and the Climate Crisis here.

Images and videos of the unrest in France have dominated international news in recent weeks. But many of the claims shared on social media about the protest have been false and deliberately misleading. Ali and Paul spoke to Sam Doak, fact checker at Logically Facts, about how and why this disinformation is being spread by far-right activists in the UK. Elsewhere on the For Fact's Sake podcast, Ali fact checks Mhairi Black MP, who has announced she will stand down, and we look into whether Orkney really wants to join Norway. Show notes:Logically's fact checking on the French unrest is here.Our Mhairi Black fact check is here.More information on Orkney exploring a new home here.

Episode 11 of For Fact's Sake is all about how journalists and fact-checkers are often stifled by legal action. We spoke to Nik Williams from Index on Censorship (and The Ferret's co-chair) about strategic litigation against public participation, more commonly known as SLAPPs. A SLAPP is a legal threat that is often aimed at stopping an accurate piece of information from entering the public domain. Also on the podcast, Ali and Paul look at a bad photoshop of Nicola Sturgeon, and discuss a fake article about the untimely death of (very much alive) celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo.Show notes: You can see the work of Index on Censorship here. Our Sturgeon arrest fact check is here. Read the full story of Gino D'Acampo's fake obituary in this excellent thread by Michael Marshall.

On this week's podcast, we take a look at social media platform Twitter and the impact of Elon Musk's controversial takeover. Ali and Paul talk to Vice disinformation reporter David Gilbert about how Musk's stewardship has led to increasing far right and anti-semitic presence on the platform, where Twitter's content moderation has failed, and whether Musk enables far right and conspiracy theories in his tweets. Elsewhere on For Fact's Sake, we look into the controversy around highly protected marine areas (HPMAs), and assess some inaccurate reporting of Sadiq Khan's recently revealed health scare.Show notes: David Gilbert's reporting on disinformation can be found here.Our explainer on HPMAs is here.

On episode 9 of the For Fact's Sake podcast, Ali spoke to Sophie Maddocks, a researcher and digital rights advocate from the University of Pennsylvania, about the rise of so-called ‘deepfake' pornography.Sophie explained the technology behind deepfake porn, how accessible it is, why politicians have not tackled the issue, and the harms caused by image based sexual abuse.Also on this week's pod, Ali explains misleading images of crowd sizes at the King's coronation and on Paul's Curiosity Corner we discuss a Telegraph column which attacked the foundations of the fact checking profession.

Dieting and fitness advice is rife on social media, but listening to the wrong information can be devastating to people's health and wellbeing. Ali and Paul spoke to Kirsty Pavey from eating disorder charity Beat about the dangers of bad diet advice that can encourage disordered eating and affect people's mental health. Elsewhere in the podcast, we take on a claim by the home secretary Suella Braverman about refugees from Sudan, and we look at some historical fact checking on the origins of the Picts.Show notes:Beat's website is here, with advice and support for people living with eating disorders or concerned about a loved one. Our full fact check on Suella Braverman's claim.More information on the work done by scientists to uncover the truth about the Picts is here.

Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros has once again been in the news, after figures on the American right linked him to the prosecution of Donald Trump. But its not the first time the former banker has been linked to conspiracy theories around the world. Ali and Paul spoke to disinformation expert Ernie Piper about the man himself, how to critique him properly, and how blaming George Soros for everything links to anti-semitic tropes which have existed for hundreds of years. Elsewhere in the podcast, we looked at misinformation around the arrest of Nicola Sturgeon's husband, and explained what was going on with the emergency alerts which will pop up on millions of people's phones on Sunday.

This week's podcast looks at the far right in Scotland and the UK.Ali and Paul interview Jamie Mann, a fellow Ferret journalist who regularly reports on the activities of the far right.He told us about the activities of Patriotic Alternative, a far right group which has gained a high profile attaching itself to various protests across the UK, and explained how the far right uses misinformation tactics to spread its message.Ali and Paul also examined what has been described as the “first mass-level AI misinformation case,” a fake picture of the Pope dressed in a fancy jacket.Show notes:Our reporting on Patriotic Alternative.More on the AI picture of the Pope.

In 2022, dozens of people were arrested for planning an attempt to overthrow the German government. It was linked to the 'Reichsbürger', a disparate movement of conspiracists who believe the current government in Germany is illegitimate.We spoke to Claire Burchett, an expert on the radical right in Germany, about the so-called 'Reichsbürger plot', the broad set of beliefs behind it, and its links to the far-right and the military. Ali and Paul also fact-checked some of the statements made in the SNP leadership election, and in Paul's Curiousity Corner we explain a bizarre claim that a bank collapse in the US was caused by its 'woke' policies.Show notes: Some background on the Reichsbürger.Our fact check on the SNP leadership debates.

Ali and Paul speak to Dr Lisa Sugiura from the University of Portsmouth about the Incel movement, a misogynistic online subculture that has been linked to violent attacks around the world. We find out why anyone would want to self-identify as an ‘involuntary celibate', how Incels interact with other aspects of the so-called ‘manosphere', and what impact movements like this have on women and girls.Also on this week's pod, Ali explains why we are still being charged a fortune for our energy bills. And on Paul's Curiosity Corner we discuss the Kalergi Plan, a far-right conspiracy which was recently mentioned by a former Premier League footballer.Show notes: Lisa's book, The Incel Rebellion: The Rise of the Manosphere and the Virtual War Against Women, is available now. Our explainer on energy bills is here.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. To mark this milestone Ali and Paul spoke to Dr Precious Chatterje Doody, an expert on Russian disinformation.She told us how the Kremlin's justifications for the war have evolved in the last year and explained why much of the misinformation it produces is not meant for a Western audience. Also on episode 3 of For Fact's Sake, we explore the increasingly prominent conspiracy theory about 15 minute cities, and in Paul's Curiosity Corner, we discuss online claims that the EU is attempting to sneak insects into our food.Show notes: Dr Precious Chatterje Doody's website.Our article on 15 minute cities.

ChatGPT is the incredible AI chatbot that's taken the internet by storm, and led many of us to wonder if our jobs will soon be obsolete.But could it result in realistic looking misinformation being spread? Analysts at misinformation monitoring group NewsGuard tested the chatbot with some false narrative prompts, and received some scary results. We spoke Lorenzo Arvanitis from NewsGuard about the bot's potential for misinformation, and how AI could affect our ability to tell good information from bad. Show notes:NewsGuard's report on ChatGPT is here. You can use ChatGPT for yourself to test its capabilities.Elsewhere on the podcast, Ali and Paul discuss a false claim about Brexit and the Covid-19 vaccine, and in Paul's Curiosity Corner we look at a viral claim about people identifying as cats in Aberdeenshire.

We've got a brand new series of podcasts, and a brand new name. The FFS Show is now For Fact's Sake! Paul and Ali are still here with great new podcast-exclusive guests and fact-checking. This week we spoke to Robert Lawson, an associate professor in sociolinguistics at Birmingham City University, and an expert on masculinity and how men communicate online. He explained the appeal of Andrew Tate's hyper-mascunile, mysogynistic persona to some young men, and how he managed to rocket from obscurity to international fame in such a short time. Ali and Paul also discuss false claims that an increase in public defibrillators is linked to the Covid-19 vaccine, and Ali talks us through the UK's controversial block on gender recognition reform in Scotland. Show notes: Robert's forthcoming book, Language and Mediated Masculinities, will be available in the UK soon. Further reading on the cult of Andrew Tate

It's the last FFS Podcast of the year, and we've got a festive topic this week. We're speaking to journalist and author of 'Why We Need Unions' Eve Livingston about misinfo around the Christmas strikes. And Ali and Paul will be discussing our fact check on the controversial SNP claim that Scotland has 25% of Scotland's offshore wind potential. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.

This week's episode is a special one, focusing on our series in conjunction with The Herald called Who Owns Urban Scotland. Ali and Paul are back, and we're joined by Ferret co-editor Karin Goodwin, who explains the difficulties in tracing the owners of major properties and land in Scotland's cities and towns. Secrecy domains, tax havens, complex company structures and remote ownership are all covered, and Karin shows us how it can be almost impossible to work out who is ultimately behind your local high street, shopping centre or vacant land. Show notes: Read all our stories on Who Owns Urban Scotland here.The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.

Are you confused about what's happening at the Manston migrant centre, and what the situation is with people crossing the channel in small boats? Ali and Paul take a look into these issues in the latest FFS Show podcast.The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.

Have you ever searched for your health symptoms on Google and freaked yourself out? That's the topic of today's FFS Show podcast interview.Ali spoke to health researcher Taleen Ashekian from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, about the increasing use of Dr. Google and a phenomenon called ‘cyberchondria'.Ali and Paul also look at a claim about what Liz Truss will be entitled to after leaving her six-week stint as prime minister.Show notes:The article on Taleen's research is here.Our fact check on Liz Truss' post-power allowance is here.The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.

Ali Brian and Paul Dobson dig into a claim from Scottish Labour leader that 1 in 7 Scots are on an NHS waiting list. You can read the full fact check here with all the source details here: https://theferret.scot/claim-700000-scots-on-nhs-waiting-list-half-true/And we also speak to Rhiannon Davies from Greater Govanhill CIC about neighbourhood disinformation and an exciting new collaboration with The Ferret. Spoiler! We're teaming up with Greater Govanhill to open up an office and event space in the neighbourhood - and we need your help to kit it out. Find out more and claim some unique swag here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/community-media-hubWe can only do this work because we have the support of thousands of members who make a small regular donation. You can support this podcast and get unlimited access to all stories and online training here: https://theferret.scot/subscribe

Ali is joined by Ferret journalist Jamie Mann for episode 39 of the FFS Show. This week we look at flat earth theory. Ali interviews marketing expert Dr Carlos Diaz Ruiz from Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki. He explains how promoters of the flat earth conspiracy use marketing techniques to spread the theory, and how such techniques are present in other grand conspiracies such as QAnon. Show notes: An article explaining Carlos Diaz Ruiz's work on flat earth marketing is here.Our fact check on God Save The King is here. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.

This episode features Ferret journalist Paul Dobson in the co-host chair, and he and Ali discuss the Scottish Government's new rent freeze announcement. Ali also spoke to Professor Sander van der Linden from the University of Cambridge, about his research into the idea of inoculating people against misinformation. Show notes:Professor van der Linden's book, Foolproof: Why We Fall for Misinformation and How to Build Immunity is out next February.You can play the misinformation game Bad News here.And more about the ideas behind a "psychological vaccine" against misinformation here.The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.

This week Karin Goodwin, co-editor of The Ferret, joins Ali to talk misinformation, sewage and how you can tell if you're speaking to an expert. Ali spoke to Professor Thora Tenbrink, a real expert of linguistics and communication, who explained how often good communicators are listened to even when they don't know what they're talking about!The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

Ali is joined by a new co-host this week, the imaginatively named Ally. Ferret founder Ally Tibbitt joins the FFS Show to discuss our highly-debated recent fact check on pensions in an independent Scotland. Ali B then interviews energy and just transition expert Fraser Stewart about the energy crisis and what can be done about it. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

Ali is back solo, after Sam's departure, but the FFS Show podcast must go on. This episode features the second half of Ali and Sam's interview with Eve Livingston, author of Make Bosses Pay: Why We Need Unions, where she explains how the perception of unions has changed over the years, how different types of precarious work have affected union membership and awareness, and how smaller new unions have stepped in to help these workers. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

Ali and Sam are back with new podcast, looking at unions and how they have evolved. We're joined by Eve Livingston, freelance journalist and author of Make Bosses Pay: Why We Need Unions.We chatted about what sort of misinformation is promoted about unions, what place traditional unions have in the modern workforce, and whether RMT boss Mick Lynch has changed the public perception of industrial action.In sad news, it is Sam's final podcast for The FFS Show, and he bowed out by subjecting Ali to a highly unfair/rigorous and forensic quiz. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

Sam and Ali are back with a special podcast about our latest 'Are Councils Working?' series in conjunction with The Herald. We take a look at how the series came together, and what hurdles our writers have to overcome when looking into local government. Freedom of Information woes and inconsistent data release are discussed with Ferret journalists Jamie Mann and Paul Dobson.

As the Russian attack on Ukraine continues, Ali and Sam spoke to Eoghan Macguire on this weeks podcast.Eoghan is the lead editor at open source investigation group, Bellingcat, which has been tracking and reporting on the conflict using publicly available tools and information.We spoke about how Bellingcat puts together its investigations, the important work of challenging official government narratives, and how openly available technology is a crucial tool in modern journalism.Podcast notes:Bellingcat's work is available on their website here.BBC Africa Eye's ground-breaking investigation, Anatomy of a Killing, is available on Twitter.Read Bellingcat's investigation into the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

On the week of the 20 year anniverssary of Scotland's Freedom of Information Act, Sam and Jas speak to Carole Ewart.On Ali Brian's week off, Sam and Jas take over the podcast to talk about The Ferret's most recent check and give you a look behind the scenes at how it was made. Carole Ewart, Convener for the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland, joins us for the interview portion of the show. We talk about the history of this piece of legislation, its modern day importance and how the Government may be dragging its feet in protecting this right. Podcast notes: You can support the CFoIS Bill to reform FoISA Bill/Publications – CFoIS Subscribe to the newsletter CFoIS – The Campaign for Freedom of Information in ScotlandAttend the Scottish Public Information Forum (SPIF) Scottish Public Information Forum – CFoISThe FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

On this episode we talk about the end of the world and all the elements that make up some of humanities' biggest threats. Sam and Ali talk to Herbert Lin, senior research scholar for cyber policy and security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation and Hank J. Holland Fellow in Cyber Policy and Security at the Hoover Institution, both at Stanford University. They discuss the Doomsday Clock, its origins, process and efficacy in warning humanity of some of its biggest threats. Podcast notes: Lin's letter to his students, here. More about the Doomsday Clock, here. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

Ahead of council elections on May 5, the podcast takes a look at democracy and representation. Sam and Ali welcome Allan Faulds from Ballot Box Scotland to talk about democracy in Scotland, election week and our understanding of representation. They also discuss the recent fact check on the Big Power Off and rising energy costs. Podcast Notes:Find out more about Ballot Box Scotland. Read the Big Power Off fact check.Remember you can tell us what we should fact check by filling out this very short form. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

This week on the podcast we discuss cryptocurrencies and some of the new shapes misinformation can take. We welcome Liv McMahon, a journalist based in Glasgow who writes about the latest developments in technology, digital culture and cryptocurrency. Previously working as a freelance journalist and SEO writer at The Scotsman, where she also wrote regular features about tech for Scotland on Sunday, Liv will be joining the BBC's Technology & Innovation team in May.Sam and Ali also talk about the funding behind Channel 4 and some of the recent claims being made about it.Podcast Notes:Follow Live on her twitter or website. Remember you can tell us what we should fact check by filling out this very short form. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

Sam and Ali are back for podcast 27 of The FFS Show, and its a special episode to tie in with The Ferret's From the Margins series. The project involved Ferret journalist Karin Goodwin helping to train citizen journalists with lived experience of addiction, homelessness and mental ill-health to report on how these issues interact for many Scots. In this special tie-in episode, Sam and Ali are joined by community journalism organiser Rachel Hamada, who has experience working to build community reporting in her role at Bureau Local. She also happens to be one of The Ferret's founding journalists and a current board member. Show notes:Follow Rachel on Twitter. The Bureau has a brand new investigation around disability coming on 5 April. Follow the work of The Bureau for Investigative Journalism here. Our From the Margins documentary was broadcast on BBC One on Monday. You can view it here. Remember you can tell us what we should fact check by filling out this very short form. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £5 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.

For this episode Ali is joined in his hosting duties by Ferret journalist Jamie Mann, as Sam is on holiday. We look at whether Russian money is funding Ruth Davidson, and then speak to Dr Kevin Guyan about how the collection of data has historically been used to marginalise LGBTQ+ people, and the controversy over the 2022 Scottish census questions. Kevin's book Queer Data, Using Gender, Sex and Sexuality Data for Action is available to buy in paperback now. Show notes: Follow Kevin on Twitter hereFind out more about his new book here and if you buy it using this link then you can support Kevin, The Ferret and a local independent book shop. Remember you can tell us what we should fact check by filling out this very short form. The FFS Show is only possible thanks to your support. If you want to help us do more fact-checking work, become a member of The Ferret for just £3 per month.You can subscribe to The FFS Show on your favourite podcast platform.