Opening paragraphs and a comment from me below. Read in full: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gpz163vg2o
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'Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett is amplifying harmful health misinformation on his number-one ranked podcast, a BBC investigation has found.
'Recent claims from guests - including that cancer can be treated by following a keto diet, rather than proven treatments - were allowed by the Dragons' Den star with little or no challenge. Experts have told us failing to question these disproven claims is dangerous because it creates a distrust of conventional medicine.
'In an analysis of 15 health-related podcast episodes, BBC World Service found each contained an average of 14 harmful health claims that went against extensive scientific evidence...
'The interviews are also posted to Mr Bartlett's YouTube channel, which has seven million subscribers. Since this content shift last year, its monthly views have increased from nine million to 15 million...'
'Podcasts in the UK are not regulated by the media regulator Ofcom - which sets rules on accuracy and impartiality. So Mr Bartlett is not breaking any broadcasting rules.'
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COMMENT (NPW): It is interesting that health misinformation can be spread on podcasts with impunity, whereas there are restrictions on other types of broadcasting. Should there be restrictions for podcasts? Also, do we have any examples where a person has followed the advice given on a podcast, and has suffered harm as a result? What, if any, are the repercussions for the producer of the podcast or the person at the centre of the misinformation?
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
