Half of the top 10 online shows spread misinformation or false narratives about Hurricane Helene in 2024
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern United States as a Category 4 storm, killing almost 250 people, decimating communities, and causing up to $200 billion in damages by one estimate. Millions of hurricane victims expressed fear and frustration as they began the slow and painful recovery process. Simultaneously, misinformation about the Biden-Harris administration’s response to the storm spread across the right-wing media ecosystem in the closing weeks of the 2024 presidential campaign. Now, forecasters warn of a severe 2025 hurricane season as Trump’s new administration cuts or defunds key services.
Media Matters found that popular online shows also pushed right-wing misinformation about hurricane recovery efforts after reviewing episodes from the 10 programs with the largest followings (based on a previous Media Matters study) that were streamed or uploaded in the two weeks between September 27, 2024, when Hurricane Helene made landfall, and October 11, 2024. These shows continue to stream as this year’s extreme weather season progresses.
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