Het was in 2022 een van de meest besproken verhalen in de roddelrubrieken: de rechtszaak tussen acteurs en ex-geliefden Johnny Depp en Amber Heard.
Hoewel het bewijs tegen Depp vrij overweldigend was, keerde de publieke opinie zich steeds meer tegen Heard. Op sociale media werd ze op een ongekende manier door het slijk gehaald. Dat vond de Britse podcastmaker Alexi Mostrous vreemd. Een groot deel van de anti-Amberberichten lijkt van bots te komen, volgens een expert zelfs rond de vijftig procent. In deze podcast onderzoekt Mostrous de rol van die bots, en trekt het ook breder. Waar komt die haat tegen Heard vandaan? Hebben de berichten de publieke opinie (en belangrijker nog, die van de rechtbankjury) beïnvloed? Wie heeft dit trollenleger in het leven geroepen, en misschien wel de belangrijkste vraag: kan deze strategie ook op andere nieuwsverhalen worden toegepast?
Introducing…Lucky Boy
Gareth’s whole life has been defined by a relationship he had 35 years ago when, as a 14-year-old schoolboy, he fell in love with an attractive young teacher at his school. He spent most afternoons in her bedroom and thought he was the luckiest boy in the world. But when she walked out of his life everything started to unravel.
Lucky Boy is a new four-part series in which Chloe Hadjimatheou asks who gets to be a perpetrator and a victim.
Episodes 1 and 2 are available to listen now.
To listen to episode 3 today, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or download the Tortoise app.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise’s premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sally Anne Bowen doesn’t want to speak about her relationship with Gareth, but it turns out there is a way of hearing her version of events. And after months of searching, Chloe gets a message from another ‘lucky boy’.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise’s premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Reported and produced by: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Gary Marshall
Sound design: Hannah Varrall
Podcast artwork: Lola Williams
Executive producer: Basia Cummings
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
