'Catch Me If You Can' podcast talks to more trolls as it returns for Season 2

"Catch Me If You Can," a podcast which exposes the strategies of the disinformation industry, is returning for its second season.

Hosted by disinformation researcher Jonathan Ong and journalist Kat Ventura, the PumaPodcast production was first released back in April, two weeks before the May 2022 elections.

The podcast talks to online trolls, digital influencers, campaign managers, and other disinformation actors, who share the ins and outs of their operations.

"We want our podcast to discuss ethics - or the lack of it - in creative industries, media, and politics. We are very mindful about protecting our sources and we never want to name-and-shame any one individual," Ventura said in a press release.

"What we're aiming for is more workers to blow the whistle on industries and organizations that make disinformation their profitable business."

Ong, meanwhile, said the show is about challenging the public's assumptions on who "trolls" are.

"For us to fight disinformation properly, we first need to understand in-depth who the enemy is," he said.

"The trolls we meet in the show are not what you imagine as unthinking copy-paste operators stuck in a Davao call center; they're college degree holders from good universities recruited for well-paying side gigs."

"Catch Me If You Can" climbed to the Top 6 of Philippine podcast charts after its first season, which had three episodes.

The six-part second season will start streaming in Friday, September 23, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.

Among the next guests include Kakampink "trolls," beki campaign organizers, a meme factory operator, and a sexy "alter" personality.

—MGP, GMA News