Jonathan Corpus Ong co-hosts new podcast, Catch Me If You Can

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Jonathan Corpus Ong, associate professor of communication, co-hosts "Catch Me If You Can," an original podcast exposing shadowy digital influence operations in the Philippines. 

The first season of the podcast invited listeners to hear directly from paid political trolls, influencers, and top-level strategists blowing the whistle on campaign strategies and "troll farm" operations in the Philippines, widely known as "patient zero" in the global fight against disinformation. Released two weeks before the May 2022 Philippine elections, the first season of the show saw great success for its commentary on how the digital economy spawns online trolls as insidious, complicit, yet sometimes exploited and sympathetic, workers. 

In season two, Ong and co-host Katrina Ventura, an investigative journalist, interview meme factory operators, pseudonymous influencers, and even x-rated "alt accounts" who mix sexual posts with political commentary. 

"Our show is about challenging easy stereotypes of who we think trolls are. For us to fight disinformation properly, we first need to understand in-depth who the enemy is. The trolls we meet on the show are not what you imagine," says Ong. "They're college degree holders from good universities recruited for well-paying side gigs. Each episode has been a story of easy complicity with a powerful takeaway: 'This could have been you!'"

For Ong, the podcast format is a powerful educational resource that translates academic work for lay and even expert audiences. A community-engaged researcher, Ong was recently named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow, recognizing his influential ethnographic work on the identities and moral justifications of workers in disinformation-for-hire operations in Southeast Asia. As part of his fellowship, Ong received a $200,000 grant, which supports research translated into public communication and policy advocacy. 

The new six-part season of "Catch Me If You Can" premieres September 23, 2022. Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or any major podcast platform.