It’s our 100th episode special. Matt and Lis face off in an end-of-year quiz, and Eulogites chip in with their top media stories of 2018.
This week on The Headliner: The traditional Christmas dinner no longer tickles our fancy, David Attenborough says civilisation as we know it could collapse, and a British couple are reunited with an engagement ring lost in the sewers of New York.
This week on the Headliner: Google gives a helping hand to high street outlets, celebrating the life of a codebreaking Baroness, and the reasons behind Harry and Meghan’s big move are revealed.
This week on The Headliner: ‘John Lewis’ stars in Twitter’s tongue-in-cheek campaign, Black Friday causes a stir among Brits and a ‘sexist’ shop window from M&S comes under fire.
This week on The Headliner: Wildfires scorch thousands of acres in California, the John Lewis Christmas advert is unveiled and Coca-Cola scales back its UK festive truck tour after opposition from local authorities and health bodies. We also discuss the news that Deliveroo food delivery bags will display pictures of missing people.
This week on the Headliner: One hundred years after the end of the first world war, we look at the history of the Royal British Legion’s iconic poppy campaign, and where the future of fundraising lies. The first sign of the festive period has arrived, as Christmas sandwiches hit the shelves—but which ones are getting us the most excited? Also: why has Gregg’s flipped its logo? Which word has defined 2018? And why does the Guardian have cause for celebration?
This week on The Headliner: Rahul takes home the GBBO trophy, Philp Hammond introduces a new tax for tech giants, and proposals to change Twitter are not well liked. We also discuss William Sitwell’s resignation as editor of Waitrose Food magazine, after he joked about “killing vegans”.
This week on The Headliner: Ryanair faces controversy after a racist passenger causes trouble on the plane, whilst John Lewis announces that DVDs may have finally had their day. In Social Media Snapchat has been pipped to the post as Instagram becomes more popular among younger audiences. Finally, Thomas the Tank Engine announces a host of new, diverse train characters.
This week on The Headliner: Strictly dance partners Seann Walsh and Katya Jones are papped kissing, and the world goes gaga over the news that Meghan and Harry are expecting. Ladbible buys Unilad, and a new tool reveals that some influencers may not have the clout they claim.
This week on The Headliner: Heathrow airport has been fined is £120,000 for a data breach, Pret a Manger is engulfed in a reputational crisis and the WWF has used a hologram to get people talking about illegal wildlife trafficking. We also discuss the latest episode of The Apprentice and the news that Johnston Press has been put up for sale.
This week on The Headliner: Europe stands together in Ryder Cup triumph, the public reacts to new restaurant tipping rules, and this time it’s Boris running through fields of wheat. We also discuss a 26-year-old entrepreneur whose sportswear brand is already worth £100m, and calls for new guidelines limiting the time children spend on social media.
After months of speculation, the battle for Sky finally came to a head with Comcast out-bidding Rupert Murdoch’s Fox. The US cable giant submitted an eye-watering £30bn bid, equating to £17.28 per share. Shortly afterwards Fox announced it would sell all its shares—marking the end of Murdoch’s association with Sky, the business he founded in the 1980s.
Pret a Manger hit the headlines this week following the news that that teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who had a severe sesame allergy, died after eating a sandwich that did not have its ingredients labelled. Her death came as allergy sufferers were warned of an EpiPen shortage, with manufacturer Mylan experiencing supply problems.
In need of a digital detox? Apple’s latest iOS update includes ‘Screen Time’, a new feature that logs how much time people spend using apps on their phones. But could this new feature impact campaigns on social media?
Finally, following a series of controversial campaigns and negative press, craft beer brand BrewDog has announced plans to ditch ‘shock tactics’ in favour of a more traditional marketing strategy. It admitted that recent campaigns have been ‘inappropriate’ and signalled a return safer territory, focusing on its products rather than wider social issues.
Jaguar Land Rover moved 2,000 staff at its Castle Bromwich plant to a three-day week, the manufacturer said they made the decision following difficult conditions in the industry, caused by Brexit and slumping sales of diesel-powered cars. Can this stall in UK car production be reversed?
The UK capital was extra glamorous this week as fashionistas jetted into town for London Fashion Week. Victoria Beckham's first UK show was declared a "runway" success. Her family were in the front row to support her, but did the smiling photos show the full picture?
A flurry of stories suggested that hugely popular video game Fortnite was responsible for 200 divorces a year. But a close look at the research by the Independent found that Fortnite’s marriage wrecking ability had been over exaggerated. A poorly worded press release? Or a calculated attempt to exploit the popularity of Fortnite?
Australia has been gripped by a national strawberry scare after sewing needles have been found hidden in the fruit. What would compel someone to commit this type of crime?
Finally, Dan joined us to talk through his Media Moment of Week. Ofcom has called for independent internet regulation, following new research warning that 20% of Britons have been harmed by web content. Should the internet be regulated and does Ofcom have the clout to do it?
Boris enters the single market
No stranger to controversy, Boris Johnson hit the headlines again this week after it was announced that he is to divorce his wife of 25 years, Marina Wheeler. With widespread rumours of an alleged affair with a former Conservative Communications Director, will these revelations damage his political future.
Meanwhile, a cartoon depicting Serena Williams sparked outrage on Twitter with many branding it racist and sexist. The image appeared in The Herald Sun, Australia’s most-read paper, and was defended by the cartoonist and the paper’s editor.
Mental health charity Mind released new figures highlighting that poor mental health affects half of all employees in the UK. What’s more, fear, shame and job insecurity were identified as reasons for not speaking up about these issues, something the charity is keen to change.
John Lewis and Waitrose kicked off a major rebranding campaign with a TV ad that premiered during last week’s episode of The Great British Bake Off. Complete with a classic Queen soundtrack and cast of school children, the multimillion pound commercial has received mixed reviews from consumers.
Finally, Rebecca joined us to talk through her Media Moment of Week. With Nationwide, Maltesers and McCain teaming up to highlight the social media backlash against disabled actors in their campaigns, will the specially edited ads make a positive difference?
Chris Evans announced live on air that he was leaving his regular post at BBC Radio 2, for a new role at Virgin Radio. But how will this effect Virgin Radio’s branding? And how will Radio 2 compete with the competition?
Former presidents from across the political spectrum united in their eulogies of the late US Senator John McCain—denouncing the political tactics of “insult and bombast”. So will this actually have an impact on online political debates?
After global criticism, Skype has announced it will be removing its new Snapchat-like features. What does this say about the impact of online criticism on a brand’s decision-making? And does this reflect a wider loyalty to a brand’s creative licencing?
There’s a lot we can learn from our grandparents: wisdom, family history and financial advice to name a few. But what exactly can they learn from us? Disney Kids recently revealed 20 things that grandparents can learn. But what does this really say about our generation? And what dance moves and Disney characters will our grandkids be teaching us about one day?
The Headliner is back, as the bakers returned. Yes, GBBO is back on our screens and we couldn’t be happier—being a firm full of baking fanatics ourselves. An impressive advertising campaign has drummed up a cake tin full of excitement, but people are already mining contestant news feeds to find controversy. What does the treatment of Bake Off contestants tell us about our own digital habits?
The sunny weather we’ve had this summer means things aren’t so golden for the agriculture industry. Vegetable prices have jumped, and their could be a bacon shortage on the way. Is it time to stockpile our carrots?
Facebook has removed 5,000 targeting options from its advertising platform. That may sound like a lot—but it’s a small splash in the ocean of the social media behemoth. Facebook has said it will stop brands being able to discriminate by ethnicity or religion, but will it limit companies’ ability to target effectively?
Warren Buffett. The sage of Omaha. The investing guru whose followers hang on his every word. Recently, it appears that the man himself has been sharing lessons from his seven-decade career on twitter, and he’s been lapping up the retweets. But is everything quite as it seems?
And Matt popped his head into the studio to discuss his Media Moment of the Week. Is 96% of reporting on Trump really, as the President claims, from “left wing” news outlets?
Yet more turbulence for Ryanair. Customers were sent compensation cheques, without signatures, which bounced when they tried to cash them. Will this latest media storm further weather Ryanair’s already beleaguered reputation?
Jamie Oliver cooked up a controversy with his punchy jerk rice, which Labour MP Dawn Butler called cultural appropriation. Was it the misuse of ‘jerk’ that was objectionable or, as Zoe Williams claimed in the Guardian, was it a rich man “making money from an inauthentic dish, while those who eat the real thing get diddly-squat”?
To promote its signature collection, McDonald’s launched its first reservation-only luxury restaurant for one day only in Kensington—complete with a string quartet and diamond-encrusted cutlery. The journalists who attended were lovin' it. Is this the fancy future of Maccy D’s?
PepsiCo has announced it is buying SodaStream for $3.2bn (£2.5bn). Will the deal see the business dominate the soft drinks market?
Plenty of parents would agree that kids today spend way too much time inside on their screens. But how can they be tempted to play outside again? Well, as part of their ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign, Omo (Persil to us in the UK) has found the answer: a book that can only be read when smeared in dirt. Will this encourage more children to play outside? Or do tech companies need to work harder to prevent screen addiction from a young age?
New research has found that a tenth of young women in the UK have struggled to pay for pads and tampons during their periods. That’s why Hey Girls UK has released its own ‘make your own sanitary pad’ to highlight the lengths and efforts that many girls and women are forced to go through during this time. So how is this campaign using shock to make us think? And why has it been successful so far?
The world of Botox is about to change forever. That’s what some believe, as Superdrug launched its £99 Botox and filler treatment in its flagship store on the Strand, London. But why are experts concerned? And how could this change public perceptions of the Superdrug brand?
Spare change is increasingly on the decline, and we may all be living in a cashless society sooner than expected. However, those wishing to donate may still have a way of doing so, as an Oxford University-backed initiative is testing a way for passers-by to donate to the homeless through barcodes. So will this encourage passers-by to donate if they don’t have change?
Gee Wizz, flight delays revealed
Booking a holiday? New data from the Civil Aviation Authority has revealed the worst airlines for flight delays. It was bad news for Wizz Air; the budget airline was named least punctual with the average flight departing 23 minutes late. Scandinavian performed the best, closely followed by Aer Lingus.
Anyone heading to Hollywood may soon notice a missing star on the Walk of Fame. Donald Trump's star has already been vandalised several times since he took office and this week West Hollywood councillors voted 'unanimously' to remove it, citing the president's behaviour towards women as the reason behind the decision.
We know exercise is good for our physical health, but a study from The Lancet Psychiatry Journal found that regular exercise could also improve mental health. Researchers identified team sports, cycling, aerobics and going to the gym as the most effective forms of exercise, but housework and mowing the lawn also helped improve mental wellbeing.
Real Madrid's new kit may not look unusual at first glance but the whole kit is actually made from recycled plastic, thanks to Adidas' partnership with Parley for the Oceans. The kit officially launched in New York this week, with the collar of each shirt reading 'For The Oceans'.
Millions were left wondering how to fill their evenings as Love Island 2018 came to an end. Will winning couple Jack and Dani live happily ever after? Are the show sponsors reaping the rewards of their involvement?
Robert Nesbit, regional director of Rail Delivery Group, made the bold claim that British trains are the envy of Europe. His brag was met with widespread derision and he was accused of "living on another planet". Does the rest of Europe wish they had our train service or was Nesbit’s claim a load of hot air?
Guardian Media Group halved its losses, as its digital operations out-earned print for the first time ever. Is this a positive sign that online news can be profitable? Or is it too little too late?
And the Independent has launched a petition called ‘Final Say’, calling for a referendum on the government’s Brexit deal. Will the people get to vote again? Or is the idea of another referendum untenable?
If there’s one thing Brits love talking about, it’s the weather—and this week it gave us plenty to discuss, as temperatures soared to over 30 degrees. The papers couldn’t resist the opportunity, with sunny scenes and heatwave warnings splashed across the frontpages throughout the week.
And if, like us, the sun has brought with it an insatiable appetite for ice cream, why not head to The British Museum of Food’s latest exhibition? Scoop: A Wonderful Ice Cream World celebrates our favourite summer treat, exploring its past, present and future.
Away from the heatwave, Alphabet this week reported its earnings for the last quarter. But, following a turbulent few months for Google’s parent company – and record fines from European regulators – how did it perform financially?
Those suffering slow broadband speeds may have to persevere a little longer than expected. A government report found it could take until 2033 for super-fast solutions to be available country-wide. The UK currently sits 35th in the world in the internet speed league table—trailing behind Japan, the US and a host of European countries.
A real treat of a podcast this week, as Chloe was joined in the studio by Trint CEO and co-founder, Jeff Koffman. The former ABC foreign correspondent shared his thoughts on how AI and technology can revolutionise journalism, freeing up reporters’ time so they can concentrate on the most important part of their craft—the story.
Meanwhile, Eulogy’s Mike Frier and Rachael Sanders joined in for a typically lively discussion on the week’s most fascinating stories.
What a week for Trump. Even by his own notorious standards, he followed up his UK tour with an extraordinary meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. For a man with “the best words”, he got himself into quite a tongue twister over a misplaced “would”—appearing to show confidence in Putin over his own security services. But what else stood out at the summit?
Happy Amazon Prime Day! Consumers where invited to rejoice in the savings, in a celebration of Amazon’s landmark subscription service. It may now pull in more sales than Black Friday, but are the savings really all they appear to be?
The Now That’s What I Call Music series hit its 100th edition this week. To listen to every track on every album back to back would take you more than 10 days, but in a world where music consumption is constantly changing, does the CD compilation have a future?
It might not have come home—but Southgate, you’re the one. He’s certainly turned on TfL and Visa, who worked together to rename Southgate Station as “Gareth Southgate Station”. How are other organisations celebrating England’s surprising World Cup run?
Boris has brExited!
Boris Johnson has carried out his own personal leave campaign by stepping down as Foreign Secretary with Brexit discussions in full swing, highlighting divisions within the Conservative party. His stepping down came before Trump’s visit to the UK, who himself believes Boris is well suited to the Prime Minister’s role—watch out Theresa! Is the Conservative Party in trouble?
Is it coming home? Well it isn’t for England but it is for the boys in Thailand. After almost three weeks of fear and horror for the trapped football team, a rescue mission has been successfully carried out inside the flooded caves. All 12 boys and their coach are now back home to safety. What’s more, after missing most of the World Cup, they’ve been offered free tickets to final.
On that, saying this week is a big week for global sporting championships is something of an understatement. With the World Cup Final on the horizon, the nation has understandably been on tenterhooks (at the time of recording, that is). The World Cup isn’t the only championship final this weekend however. Remember Wimbledon? The World Cup’s jealous sibling? This week the tournament has made its last attempts to steal back some of the limelight from the footie in Russia—from Rufus the Hawk, to smartphone bans. Which final will you be watching this weekend?
If you haven’t heard, it’s ice cream month! And what a controversy it’s caused already. YouGov revealed that the UK’s favourite ice lolly is the Magnum, which has sparked a raging debate on social around what actually constitutes an ‘ice lolly’. We’ll hopefully come to an agreement soon.
It is 70 years since the NHS was founded and there have been celebrations across the country championing both the service and staff. But there have been tricky questions too, about its funding and staff shortages with supporters and detractors alike asking just how healthy is our health service?
The government published its LGBT+ equality plan, to improve the lives of gay and transgender people, announcing that they will seek to ban gay “conversion” therapies. With more than two-thirds of the LGBT+ community avoiding holding hands in public for fear of negative reactions, we still have a way to go to create a world where nobody feels the need to hide who they are.
We’re all going on a summer holiday, no more working for a week or two. But before we jet off there is a new fee to pay. Manchester Airport has announced it is introducing drop off charges. Is this a canny move to cash in on summer holidaymakers or a tactical bid to reduce congestion around the airport?
The Today programme is the BBC flagship news programme. Broadcast in 1957, millions of people start their day by tuning. But with a drop of 30,000 listeners is it in need of an update? Is John Humphry’s the best thing about the programme or an out of touch dinosaur that needs to go?
The World Cup is in full swing, but anyone hoping to watch the game with a cold beer or even a refreshing glass of something softer may be disappointed. This week, brands such as Coca-Cola were forced to pause production at certain plants, as seasonal maintenance shutdowns caused a shortage of CO2.
On the subject of drinks, Waitrose this week launched a range of wine in cans. Designed as an environmentally friendly alternative to bottles for the festival season, will wine-lovers be willing to embrace it?
The way we listen to music has changed drastically over the past few years, and this week it was announced that the UK singles chart will now count video consumption from platforms like YouTube. Other changes will also impact streaming services, with ad-funded streams significantly down-weighted.
Finally, images showing the family separation crisis taking place in Texas sent shockwaves round the world, but perhaps even more unbelievable was the jacket chosen by Melania Trump when she visited. With the words “I really don’t care. Do U?” etched across the back, the first lady’s wardrobe choice dominated the front pages. Her spokesperson told CNN “there was no hidden message”, but many were not convinced.