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Can Social Media Help You Lose Weight? Sep 21, 2018

Show notes

Do dieting influencers and communities help or hurt when you’re trying to get in shape? If you’re trying to lose weight you might have tried out exercise tips and diet recipes you’ve seen online. Some find social media groups a useful source of support, but there are concerns that some of the advice might not be as healthy as it seems, and that social media celebrities are setting unhelpful and unrealistic body expectations. So how can you cut through all the noise, and which social networks might be better than others when it comes to losing weight?

Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Anisa Subedar Studio manager: James Beard

Photo Caption: A woman stands on a bathroom scale Photo Credit: Getty Images

Arrested for Saving Memes in Russia Sep 14, 2018

Show notes

Why are some Russians put on extremist watch lists for saving or posting memes online?

Maria Motuznaya was investigated by police after saving edgy memes on her account on the social network VKontakte. They showed a character from the series Game of Thrones and smoking nuns, and in at least one case, a racial slur.

She’s not alone. Maria and hundreds of Russians are being placed on an extremist watch list for using memes declared to be racist, offensive or against the Russian Orthodox Church. People on the list have their bank account frozen and Maria and others face criminal charges. Why is this happening - and will a campaign launched by a Russian blogger make a difference?

Presenter: Mike Wendling Producer: Lee Kumutat

(Photo: A pair of hands in handcuffs hold a mobile phone showing the VKontakte website. Credit: Anton Vaganov/Interpress/TASS)

Did Facebook Fuel Hate in Myanmar? Sep 07, 2018

Show notes

Facebook’s dream of a more open and connected world turned into a nightmare in Myanmar. Ethnic tensions between the Buddhist majority and the Rohingya minority had been simmering for decades when the country started opening up to outside business. The price of a smartphone SIM card dropped from around $200 to $2, and Facebook quickly became the app of choice.

But despite multiple warnings, Facebook failed to control hate speech against Rohingyas, and had very few employees who could read Burmese. The company was criticised in a UN report - so what exactly went so wrong online in Myanmar?

Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Anisa Subedar Producer: Edward Main Studio Manager: Graham Puddifoot

Photo Caption: Rohingya refugees pictured in August 2017 Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Influencer Business Aug 31, 2018

Show notes

Earlier this year, a baker in Liverpool in north-west England vented her frustration on Twitter over constantly being asked by social media influencers for free cakes. Laura Worthington tweeted: “I wasn't kidding when I said this happens a lot.” Many other businesses publicly sided with Laura Worthington on social media… but were they being fair? We investigate the impact of influencers – people with large and/or powerful social media followings. What are the rules and ethics around advertising and promotion? And can we really trust the people behind big social media accounts? After all, their reputations rest in part on the idea of authenticity.

Presenters: Jonathan Griffin and Lee Kumutat Producer: Lee Kumutat Studio manager: Nigel Appleton

Photo Caption: Influencer Lisa Linh promotes a number of brands – including hotels and credit card companies Photo Credit: Lisa Linh

Virtually Making a Fortune? Aug 24, 2018

Show notes

Why are people spending real money to buy land that only exists in virtual reality? In the virtual world of Decentraland, users can build whatever they can imagine on their own plots of land. Some hope to make a profit by trading goods and services using the social platform’s own cryptocurrency. Could this be the birth of a new virtual economy or a cryptocurrency bubble waiting to burst?

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin Reporter: Joanne Whalley Producer: Lee Kumutat Studio Manager: James Beard Editor: Ed Main

Photo Caption: This is Decentraland Photo Credit: This is Decentraland

What is #QAnon? Aug 17, 2018

Show notes

Back in October 2017, an anonymous figure posted a series of cryptic messages on an online message board. The user, who signed themselves "Q", claimed to have top security clearance within the US government. Despite there being no credible evidence for the claims, “Q” has sparked a vast, endlessly-complicated pro-Trump conspiracy theory. The far-fetched story has since jumped from fringe message boards to the floor of a President Trump rally. We look at the story behind the mysterious “Q”.

Presenters: Mike Wendling and Anisa Subedar Producer: Elizabeth Cassin

Life As A YouTube Child Star Aug 10, 2018

Show notes

What’s it like to be a young YouTube star? Siblings Jaadin and Arabella Daho's lives have significantly changed since they went viral on YouTube in 2015. At just 10 and 11 years old their videos racked up 17 million views. They have since launched a YouTube career and are the main source of income for their family – their mum is their manager. But along with the money and fame has come abuse, both online and off. How has YouTube stardom affected these teenagers and their family?

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin Reporter: Gem O’Reilly

(Photo: Jaadin and Arabella Daho shooting one of their YouTube videos)

The Sandy Hook Hoaxers – Update Aug 10, 2018

Show notes

An update on the people behind a paranoid conspiracy theory. Twenty-six people, mostly young children, died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. They were the victims of a man named Adam Lanza, who killed himself after the slaughter. It was a shocking tragedy, even in a country used to regular gun violence. Soon false rumours began to circulate online, that the attacks were staged using actors. Although they had no basis in truth, hundreds of YouTube videos, blogs, and tweets repeated the conspiracy theories. And the rumours were pushed by an alternative media mogul named Alex Jones. His online news site Infowars has millions of listeners and viewers. He’s interviewed President Trump, who has repeated Infowars stories on his Twitter feed and in speeches. One of the fathers who lost their children in the shooting was Lenny Pozner, whose son Noah was killed. As the “hoaxers” went to greater extremes to spread their fake news – even targeting grieving parents - Lenny Pozner led the online fight back. In April, the parents of Noah Pozner filed a defamation lawsuit against Jones. And now, amid concern about conspiracies and “fake news”, big social media companies have shut down Infowars and Alex Jones accounts. This is an update of a story that was originally broadcast in March 2017.

Presenter: Mike Wendling Reporter: Sam Judah Studio managers: James Beard and John Scott

Photo Caption: Alex Jones, founder of Infowars Photo Credit: Getty Images

#MeToo: What’s Next? (Part 2 of 2) Jul 27, 2018

Show notes

We look at what lies ahead for #MeToo, the hashtag which became a world movement in October 2017.

In the second of a two-part series, we have a panel discussion with Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle, author Kirsty Allison and gender justice specialist Natalie Collins. We hear from journalist and activist, Meghna Pant who describes an incident known as “eve teasing”, a common term used in some South Asian countries to encompass a wide variety of sexual street harassment.

We also explore place of men in the #MeToo debate after American actor Terry Crews appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, telling them that he was sexually assaulted by a “successful Hollywood agent”. Is there space for men in the movement?

Presenter: Anisa Subedar Producer: Lee Kumutat Studio Manager: John Scott

Photo Credit: Getty Images

#MeToo: What’s Next? (Part 1 of 2) Jul 20, 2018

Show notes

What’s the future of #MeToo? In October 2017, the hashtag became a worldwide movement in the wake of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein – who denies the charges against him. But what began as a fightback against sexual harassment and assault has now become a broader movement. And the hashtag and the campaign have been translated into dozens of languages and cultures around the world.

In the first of a two-part series, we host a panel discussion with writer Kirsty Allison, gender justice expert Natalie Collins and Washington Post columnist Megan McCardle – with contributions from Nigerian lawyer Ayesha Osori and a Russian woman who was the victim of sexual assault. Has #MeToo created a deeper solidarity between women - or are some excluded from the conversation? What concrete changes have happened – and what’s on the horizon?

Presenter: Anisa Subedar Producers: Lee Kumutat Studio Manager: Neil Churchill

Picture Caption: A #MeToo sign at a rally in South Korea Picture Credit: Getty Images