In this Season Finale,  Brandon and Lizzie are joined by journalist and writer Chris Stokel-Walker. They discuss his upcoming book TikTok Boom - and reflect on the reach and influence of the platform, the Chinese government, and algorithms.   Learn more about Chris: stokel-walker.co.uk and @stokel   Learn more about Brandon Relph: www.brandonrelph.com  Learn more about Lizzie Hodgson: www.lizziehodgson.com

For this fascinating episode, we are joined by Dr Alex Connock. An academic and entrepreneur in digital video, Alex is Associate Fellow at Oxford University’s Said School of Business, entrepreneur in residence at INSEAD, director at UK5G, UNICEF UK, and The Halle Orchestra. He is also an Academy full member at BAFTA and Senior Tutor at the National Film and Television School. Alex founded Missile Digital Studios in 2018, after running Endemol Shine North and co-founding Ten Alps (now Zinc Media) with Bob Geldof. Delving into topics including the impact of tech on broadcast media, and how creativity has always moved with the times, we also explore: How has the media industry changed over the last 20 years What virtual production is The impact of AI on production - and why the human element is still an important factor Unreal Engine and the MetaHuman: Are we moving into post-actor/human times? (Hint - no). Which media companies are exciting Alex the most at the moment Learn more about Dr Alex Connock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexconnock Learn more about Brandon Relph: www.brandonrelph.com Learn more about Lizzie Hodgson: www.lizziehodgson.com

Katy Woodrow Hill is currently the Head of Brand at Depop.   Depop is the fashion marketplace app where the next generation come to discover unique items. With a global community buying, selling and connecting to make fashion more inclusive, diverse and less wasteful, Depop is on a mission to transform fashion.   Prior to joining Depop last year she was a partner at creative youth agency Livity where she took the company to new highs. Throughout her career, Katy has always been at the forefront of social media and understanding young audiences, working with some of the largest most recognisable brands in the world.   For more info see: www.depop.com   Katy Woodrow Hill: @woodrowhill (Twitter, Instagram etc)   Brandon Relph: www.brandonrelph.com / @brandonrelph (Twitter, Instagram etc)   Lizzie Hodgson: www.Lizzie hodgson.com / @lhdgsn (Twitter)

Food for thought: The changing face of the hospitality industry   In this episode, we chat with Mark McColloch to explore the impact the pandemic has had on the hospitality industry, whether apps are changing the way we socialise and eat, and the undervalued power of social for marketing.   About Mark: Mark is currently a virtual CMO for the Hospitality and Leisure sector.  Prior to this he was the CEO of a Multi-Award winning Food & Drink Creative Agency after a career spanning the likes of Pret A Manger, Yo Sushi and lastminute.com amongst others.   What he doesn’t know about marketing in this sector, isn’t worth knowing!   Learn more about Mark McColloch: @Supersonic_Inc   Learn more about Brandon Relph: www.brandonrelph.com  Learn more about Lizzie Hodgson: www.lizziehodgson.com

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jenny Rice (Associate Professor of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies at the University of Kentucky) to explore what we would call conspiracy theories - so a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for an unexplained event. And there are plenty to chose from - Sandy Hook, QAnon, Moon landings, even Covid-19 - to some these are all elaborate hoaxes.  Jenny is an expert in ‘conspiracy narratives’ - which we’ll dig into in the podcast.   Her book - Awful Archives: Conspiracy Theory, Rhetoric, and Acts of Evidence - looks at these topics, particularly the role evidence - or bad evidence - and how it plays out in the fringes of public discourse—pseudo-science, the paranormal, conspiracy theories about 9/11, the moon landing, UFO sightings, and Obama’s birth record. These are all topics of conspiracy theories that millions across the world really believe in.   In this episode we explore:  • What is a conspiracy theory, or conspiracy narrative? • Where do they originate from - what’s the earliest record you know of? • Why has here been what appears to be an explosion of conspiracy theories into mainstream society over the past few years? • Why are you so interested in conspiracy narratives? • From COVID-19 deniers and QAnon to Sandy Hook and 911, what are the conditions that have allowed these once fringe ideas to flourish? • Is there any one reason - or is it a perfect storm powered by social media, political unrest and global uncertainty? • What risks do these ideas pose to society? • How can we best navigate a conversation with someone who might believe in conspiracy theories in real-life or online?   Learn more about Dr Jenny Rice: @jennyrice   Learn more about Brandon Relph: www.brandonrelph.com  Learn more about Lizzie Hodgson: www.lizziehodgson.com

In this specially recorded podcast of The Z-X Spectrum, Brandon and I took to the main stage at Brighton Summit, a one-day event that brought over 400 delegates from across the region together to explore all things business.  Our guests were Lola Ray from social disruptor Make (Good) Trouble and George Hodgson (no relation) from fashion and mental health brand Maison De Choup, two trailblazers aged under 25. In our panel discussion, we explored how the workplace will change with the emergence of a blended workforce of four generations, all with vastly different experiences and expectations. Lola and George also explained why inevitable change will accommodate Gen Z, not the other way round.  LINKS: Brighton Summit:  - https://brightonsummit.com/ Lola Ray: - Make (Good) Trouble: http://www.makegoodtrouble.co.uk/ George Hodgson: - Maison De Choup: https://maisondechoup.co.uk/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/imgeorgehodgson - LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/georgedavidhodgson - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgedavidhodgson/?hl=en - Web: https://www.georgedavidhodgson.com/ ----- Brandon Relph: www.brandonrelph.com Lizzie Hodgson: www.lizziehodgson.com

In this episode of The Z-X Spectrum, we chat with BBC show Blue Peter presenter, Richie Driss. Having only joined the show this year (2019), we explore how Richie came to have the job of presenting on the world’s longest-running children’s TV show - 60 years and counting - and dive into the role TV has in young people’s lives today. It’s a challenging media landscape for any broadcaster - both here in UK and globally -  so how is Blue Peter engaging young people and why does this flagship show mean so much to generations of people?  We also touch on what being a role model means to Richie - and where his passion for content creation and presenting came from in the first place. Just a note on the quality of the recording: We had a few technical issues with our equipment which meant we had to record directly from the laptop and not mics. But it doesn’t detract from the topics we cover. So hope you enjoy! ------------ Richie Driss: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richiedriss Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichieDriss Blue Peter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/shows/blue-peter

In this episode of The Z-X Spectrum, we sit down with Sarah John, Chief cashier of the Bank of England. Hot off the heels of our interview with Meri Williams, Chief Technology Officer at Monzo, the online bank (you can hear that episode here) Sarah spoke to us about the future of cash - and the important role she believes it has in society, and in central banking.  We explored the impact of going cashless to vulnerable groups - older people and those on low incomes especially - and whether cash will ever become a thing of the past. We also discussed how we educate children and young people about the value of money. Should cash continue to be a viable option in society? A shorter than usual interview - we were so lucky to get some time at the Bank of England with Sarah who is exceptionally busy - but one that packed a lot in! So hope you enjoy it. More about Bank of England: www.bankofengland.co.uk

In this episode of the Z-X Spectrum podcast, we interview Meri Williams, CTO of Monzo Bank, the digital-only bank that's really shaking up the banking industry.   In our chat, we explore Monzo's tremendous growth: at date of the recording they were at 2.8 million customers. But their growth isn't just in account terms. Their teams of engineers are getting big too.  So how do you scale a company so rapidly? How do you onboard effectively? And how do you create a truly transparent, people-first culture?  We also deep dive into diversity and inclusivity - or DandI as Meri refers to it, and explore wider issues including how hopeful she is for young people as they adapt to an ever-changing world, but also touch on her concerns regarding misinformation being weaponised to radicalise people. All hugely pertinent topics.   Learn more about Monzo:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/monzo  Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakingMonzo Website: https://monzo.com/  Learn more about Meri Williams:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/Geek_Manager  Website: http://blog.geekmanager.co.uk/  NEXT EPISODE: Sarah Johns, Chief Cashier from Bank of England.

In this episode we took to the stage to record a special edition of The ZX Spectrum at The Children’s Media Conference 2019 in Sheffield. We were joined by four hugely inspirational young people as panelists, each of them an activist in some shape or form. How are young people and the media responding to a new sense of purpose and action amongst the young? How can media organisations build activism into the content they are creating int his rapidly changing landscape? Should they be responding to the changing landscape? In the session (edited for the podcast) called “Kids Taking A Stand”, the panelists covered a range of topics, including: - What is activism, and why does it matter? - How young people are responding with a new sense of purpose and of activism to issues and problems they are inheriting - If activism has a stigma in the mainstream media, and how working with young people can help change in that perception - We also discussed wider issues around visibility of diverse young people in front of and behind the scenes in media - including young people from working class backgrounds. Our panellists were: Alvin Owusu-Fordwuo: As well as being a university student and an intern at Google Android Marketing, Alvin also run a social enterprise, called the advantage group. It’s aim is to transform the lives young people from underrepresented groups. Ella Meek is a 13-year-old plastic waste activist and campaigner for her charity, Kids Against Plastic. She’s also presenter of Sky Kids programme called FYI. Dan Lawes is founder and CEO of Youth Politics UK, a national organisation with the main aim of giving young people the skills to bring about positive social change. Noga Levey Rapoport is an environmental campaigner and an active member of the UK student climate network.  For Brandon and I, it reinforced our belief that we need to include diverse young people in many more discussions and ideas, especially as it is they who are going to have to deal with the consequences of the decisions taken by older generations. The Children’s Media Conference is the only gathering in the UK for everyone involved in developing, producing and distributing content to kids and young people, and we’re really grateful to the organisers for giving Brandon and myself the opportunity to bring The Z-X Spectrum to this major event.