A Stockport comic and a British-Iranian journalist and filmmaker from Liverpool are among the lead hosts of a pair of new Channel 4 podcasts aimed at bringing the news closer to Gen-Z.
Channel 4 has promised that the two new podcasts will build on the broadcaster’s reputation for trusted, fact-checked journalism and its strong connection with younger audiences.
Untangled will be fronted by Liverpudlian Ben Zand (The Toxic World of Perfect Looks: Untold and The Secret World of Incels: Untold – pictured, left) alongside Stacey Dooley (Rape on Trial, Growing Up Gypsy), and is a new weekly current affairs podcast that will explore the headlines at the top of our social media feeds, promising to bring listeners clarity, warmth and context rather than spin or soundbites and making sense of the world for a generation that feels overwhelmed by traditional news.
A News Thing will be hosted by the comedians of A Comedy Thing by Channel 4, including Stopfordian Dan Tiernan (right) alongside comedy talent including Michael Odewale and Finlay Christie. The show will be an entertaining and enlightening weekly review of the news as A Comedy Thing by Channel 4’s regulars dissect the week’s biggest and most talked-about stories across the media and online.
Both podcasts promise to offer young audiences duly impartial and fact-checked response to the week’s biggest news stories, following the publication in January of Channel 4’s study, Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust, which highlighted the scale of the challenges facing Gen Z in sourcing trusted news, including that young people have more confidence in social media posts from friends than established journalism.
Commissioned following this research, which uncovered concern about misinformation and lack of trust in news sources, the podcasts will bring comedy and conversation to viewers, providing weekly reputable and regulated round ups of topical events on YouTube and Spotify.
Louisa Compton, head of news and current affairs, specialist factual and sport, Channel 4, said: “Young audiences are drowning in an online world of disinformation, divisive and toxic views – as a result they’re hungry for informed, fact-checked and reliable information to help them make sense of the world and these pods will help them do that in very different ways. We’re delighted to bring Stacey Dooley to C4 and think she and Ben, who both carry a wealth of reporting experience, will prove an audience favourite”
Sacha Khari, head of digital commissioning, Channel 4, added: “These two brilliantly distinct but equally vital podcasts mark a powerful collaboration between Channel 4’s award-winning current affairs and digital commissioning teams, working with outstanding creative talent both on and off screen. We’re combining our expertise and trusted values to reach young audiences with content that’s smart, fact-checked, entertaining and genuinely relevant in today’s digital world.”
Ben Zand said: “We wanted to make something that helps people get to grips with the biggest stories without feeling overwhelmed by them. And most importantly, to really focus on the impact of the human beings at the heart of these stories. Untangled is about slowing things down and having reasonable, honest conversations in a world that feels increasingly polarised. We’re aiming for curiosity over conflict. It’s about curiosity and connection. We want listeners to come away feeling like they’ve actually understood the story, not just scrolled past it.”
A News Thing and Untangled were both commissioned for Channel 4 by Charlie Hyland, digital commissioner, with Sacha Khari the outgoing head of digital commissioning, and Compton. A News Thing is produced by Strongwatch Studios. Untangled is produced by Zand’s own production house Zandland.
