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Manosphere and online misogyny should be treated as public health issues, say UK experts

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Cite

Health, T. T., & correspondent, i. (2026, October 29). Manosphere and online misogyny should be treated as public health issues, say UK experts. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/29/manosphere-online-misogyny-public-health-policy-lancet-report

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Guardian · collected 2026-10-29 · by Tobi Thomas Health, inequalities correspondent

Quick Summary

UK experts argue in The Lancet that the manosphere and online misogyny should be addressed as public health issues akin to obesity or smoking. They propose a coordinated response involving various sectors, including schools and healthcare services, similar to approaches taken against tobacco use and ultra-processed food. The report identifies the manosphere as an industry exploiting men's grievances for profit, framing masculine identity through harmful and performance-oriented ideologies, while also highlighting societal factors like educational disengagement and social isolation that contribute to its influence among young males.
Written by AI on 2026-11-01, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

UK experts are calling for the government to treat the manosphere and online misogyny as public health issues, similar to how obesity or smoking are addressed. In an article published in *The Lancet*, authors argue that a coordinated response involving governments, schools, health services, and community organizations is necessary. The report defines the manosphere as “a diffuse commercial ecosystem and loose collection of online communities united by shared beliefs about masculinity, misogyny, and male victimisation.” It highlights how this sphere has evolved into a lucrative industry promoting extreme expressions of misogyny and aggrieved masculinity. Professor Kent Buse, a co-author from Global 50/50, emphasizes the need for addressing structural conditions rather than blaming feminism for men's issues.

Written for “Online Misogyny Public Health Issue” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.65, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 4 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 116091: no verified evidence · logged 2026-11-01

Story

📰 Online Misogyny Public Health Issue
Health · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 20 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
66/100
The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Health
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-01 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Guardian · 2768 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Tobi Thomas Health
8 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 A response that only removes the manosphere, without offering something credible in its place, will fail.
🔮 Basra added: “This research helps us understand who is less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer via screening, [who] might wait longer to get diagnosed or experience delays in treatment, and knowing what barriers they face enables us to work towards eliminating them.
🔮 Some conservative states that have rejected hardship exemptions for the new Medicaid requirements may be choosing not to due to political reasons, experts say.
🔮 The county at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is at a clear disadvantage because, local officials say, it lacks its own health department and it will now get special assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
🔮 The bill, which will fully come into effect in the new year, will result in many adults covered through Medicaid having to meet new work requirements and being subject to more frequent eligibility checks, while there will be less federal funding for states for Medicaid.
🔮 We’re operating with the assumption that the disease may jump and spread to non-Plain [Amish] community members.
🔮 “And these rural hospitals may be less likely to have access to these therapies”.
🔮 Kate Brintworth, the chief midwifery officer for NHS England, said: “All staff working in NHS maternity and neonatal services are committed to ensuring that any disclosure of domestic abuse will be met with compassion, sensitivity and clear options for support.
Also by Tobi Thomas Health
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 8 articles by Tobi Thomas Health →
inequalities correspondent
9 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 A response that only removes the manosphere, without offering something credible in its place, will fail.
🔮 Basra added: “This research helps us understand who is less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer via screening, [who] might wait longer to get diagnosed or experience delays in treatment, and knowing what barriers they face enables us to work towards eliminating them.
🔮 Some conservative states that have rejected hardship exemptions for the new Medicaid requirements may be choosing not to due to political reasons, experts say.
🔮 The county at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is at a clear disadvantage because, local officials say, it lacks its own health department and it will now get special assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
🔮 The bill, which will fully come into effect in the new year, will result in many adults covered through Medicaid having to meet new work requirements and being subject to more frequent eligibility checks, while there will be less federal funding for states for Medicaid.
🔮 We’re operating with the assumption that the disease may jump and spread to non-Plain [Amish] community members.
🔮 “And these rural hospitals may be less likely to have access to these therapies”.
🔮 At the World Health Assembly in May, Mahama said Ghana lost $78m following the closure of USAID programs which affected maternal healthcare, the treatment of malaria, nutrition and HIV/Aids interventions.
🔮 Kate Brintworth, the chief midwifery officer for NHS England, said: “All staff working in NHS maternity and neonatal services are committed to ensuring that any disclosure of domestic abuse will be met with compassion, sensitivity and clear options for support.
Also by inequalities correspondent
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 9 articles by inequalities correspondent →

Topics

Global 50/50 Lancet the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys

Subjects

Global 50/50 ORG · 1× Kent Buse PERSON · 1× Lancet ORG · 1× Mark Brooks PERSON · 1× Sarah Hawkes PERSON · 1× the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys ORG · 1×

Narrative

“Men’s problems are framed [in the manosphere] as the result of feminism rather than structural conditions, and masculine identity is commodified through products and paid content that normalise and reinforce health-harming and performance-oriented masculinities,” the authors write.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-01
🔮 A response that only removes the manosphere, without offering something credible in its place, will fail.

Claims (20 extracted, 0 hedged)

The manosphere and online misogyny should be treated by the government as a public health issue, in the same way as obesity or smoking, experts have said. asserted
experts → treat → obesity
Writing in the Lancet, the authors of a new report argue that a coordinated response is needed, involving governments, schools, health services and community organisations, similar to the public-health response to tobacco use and ultra-processed food. asserted
response → write → use
“Men’s problems are framed [in the manosphere] as the result of feminism rather than structural conditions, and masculine identity is commodified through products and paid content that normalise and reinforce health-harming and performance-oriented masculinities,” the authors write. asserted
authors → frame → masculinities
The report defines the manosphere as “a diffuse commercial ecosystem and loose collection of online communities united by shared beliefs about masculinity, misogyny and male victimisation”. asserted
report → define → masculinity
It goes on to outline how the manosphere has evolved into a highly lucrative online industry that makes money by promoting “the most extreme expressions of misogyny and aggrieved masculinity”. asserted
that → go → misogyny
Prof Kent Buse, a co-author of the paper and co-founder of the social justice thinktank Global 50/50, said: “This is a business model, not a fringe. asserted
This → say → thinktank
Outrage and grievance are good for business, so the system rewards the most extreme content. asserted
system → reward → content
Expect the playbook that served tobacco so well: blame the individual, and call regulation an attack on freedom. asserted
that → expect → freedom
Public health has a tested toolkit for commercial harms and we should use it.” asserted
we → have → it
He added: “Boys and men are not the problem. asserted
Boys → add → ?
The problem is the conditions that leave them isolated and without a secure future, and the companies that profit from their anger and insecurity.” asserted
that → leave → anger
The authors also point to growing disengagement from education among boys around the world, as well as loneliness, money worries and social exclusion, which can leave young men searching for a sense of belonging. asserted
which → point → belonging
These problems, they say, can make them more vulnerable to online communities that offer simple explanations for their difficulties and often encourage them to blame women and feminism. asserted
that → say → feminism
Prof Sarah Hawkes, the report’s other author, said: “The manosphere offers boys and young men belonging, identity and an explanation for why life feels hard. asserted
life → say → belonging
A response that only removes the manosphere, without offering something credible in its place, will fail. asserted
that → remove → place
We need to offer boys something better, not just tell them what to avoid.” asserted
We → need → what
Mark Brooks, the policy and communications director at the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys, welcomed the report’s position that it was a public health issue and that men, boys, women and girls were all victims of this content. asserted
men → welcome → content
“Far too often, the manosphere discussion has positioned all men and boys as a problem and not taken into account the broader economic, educational and cultural challenges that drive their engagement,” he said. asserted
he → position → engagement
“Not all men and boys engage with this content equally. asserted
men → engage → content
We are currently working on research to identify who is most at risk.” asserted
who → work → risk
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