00:00A day barely goes by without another conspiracy theory, and careful, because if it's endorsed by a celebrity, people are
00:06more likely to believe it.
00:08The saying has never been more true. With great power comes great responsibility.
00:12A 2020 study by the Reuters Institute found that posts by celebrities and other influencers made up 20% of
00:19the misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:23Spyscape says actor Mark Ruffalo doubts the official 9-11 version of events.
00:28Rapper MIA thinks the CIA developed Google, and the governments control what information search engines deliver, while rapper B.O
00:36.B. believes the Earth is flat.
00:38Then you have Gwyneth Paltrow, who insider says endorses medical conspiracy theories.
00:43Alex Jones made $165 million over three years selling supplements not necessarily verified by the FDA, and even television characters.
00:53Richard Belzer, for example, who played Detective John Munch for 17 years on Law & Order SVU, shared the characters
01:01believe that the Kennedy assassination was a federal plot, and influenced his fans to think the same.
01:07Bottom line is popular accounts may be seen as more trustworthy by fans, which may influence how followers behave.
01:14And even though celebrities may not be intentionally setting out to impact the way people manage their health or participate
01:21in politics,
01:22they know they're sharing their ideas with the receptive audience, and that audience is really listening.
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