8/5 - Inside RT's Newsroom

Russia Today is one of Britain’s most controversial TV networks.

Backed by the Kremlin, based in Moscow; its London newsroom portrays Russia more positively than the mainstream media, and broadcasts an alternative take on current events generally.

But RT has been accused of distributing propaganda and ‘fake news’, and has been found in breach of broadcasting rules.

Joana Ramiro worked for RT’s web-team, hoping she could originate meaningful journalism from a left-wing perspective.

But, as she explains to Olly, she instead found herself in a world of clickbait, ‘churnalism’ and ‘editorial mellowing’...

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Elsewhere, in this week's Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart explores the trend for flexitarian burgers; considering the US offerings from Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger. At Dirty Bones in Shoreditch, Ollie and Olly wrap their lips around a vegan Moving Mountains B12 burger - and compare it to the restaurant’s original, non-vegan Mac Daddy. Can it compete?

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from being crowned ETO’s Sexpert of the Year, no less - considers a question from a listener who wants to know whether he should be cleaning his sex toy with the powder provided by the sex shop - or whether plain old baby powder would do the trick.

The Foxhole is sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com. They sell a sexually liberating range of prophylactics and lube - and remember, by using our code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout, you can get 10% OFF your whole order!

This week’s Lifehack comes courtesy of digital marketing supremo Leanne Hickey, offering up her top tips on how to improve your experience of dating apps: don’t ask boring questions, never message people after 10pm, and always post a real, unfiltered photo of your face!

The Lifehack is sponsored by Podcast Lounge - the new podcatcher app for Windows 10 devices. Get your free trial at the Windows App Store now.

Finally, our record of the week is Somnambulist, from indigenous Canadian outfit nêhiyawak - and it’s got lots of guitars in it:

If you’d like to suggest a challenge for Ollie, if you have a question of sex for Alix, or you’d like to share your story with Olly, get in touch via our Feedback form. And, if you’re able to support the show - please do. For the cost of just one pint of beer per month you can help us create thirty quality episodes per year. Thanks.

See You Next Tuesday!

6/3 - Do Focus Groups Work?

"I don’t think people are necessarily experts on what they want"

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The pollsters failed to predict Brexit, Trump and Theresa May's lost majority. But, in political circles, faith remains in one particular research technique: the focus group.

Edelman's James Morris was an advisor at the Number 10 strategy unit under Tony Blair, and has advised international businesses including Virgin Media and Starbucks on reputation management. 

In this insightful interview with Olly, he reveals how U-shaped rooms, open questions and gender dynamics all affect 'what we think we think' about political issues like climate change, leadership and immigration...

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Elsewhere, Ollie Peart considers the return of the turtle-neck and the boom in onion jewellery in this week's Zeitgeist. Plus, as his quest to become a true trends insider continues, he reveals how he fared in an ethical audit of his consumer habits, thanks to Ethical Consumer's Tim Hunt.  (And if that's inspired you to get your own ethical audit done, check out ethicalconsumer.org).

Meanwhile, down The Foxhole, Alix Fox investigates the bizarre claim that toothpaste can function as an alternative to a traditional pregnancy test, and offers advice to a listener concerned that he's the only gay in the village. The Foxhole is, as ever, proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.com. Shop their excellent range of condoms and toys online, and remember to use our code 'MANN' to get a super-sexy 15% off.

For this week's Squarespace Lifehack, Trullo's head honcho Tim Siadatan offers up his three top tips to make restaurant-quality pasta at home. If you'd like to see more of Tim's advice, check out his book, also called Trullo, which is out now. The Lifehack is brought to you thanks to our good friends at Squarespace. To create your own blog, personal portfolio or business website with their easy-to-use templates, visit Squarespace.com and, when you're ready to launch, use our offer code 'MANN' to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Finally, this week's Song of the Week isn't from this week at all, really - it's Mike's Pop Song, an off-cut from Olly's all-time favourite album, R.E.M's Automatic For The People, reissued for its 25th anniversary:

If you'd like to suggest a challenge for Ollie Peart, a question of sex for Alix Fox, or you'd like to leave us a comment and nominate yourself as a Mannbassador, just click here. And if you'd like to buy us a beer to support the show, that would also be most welcome.

This episode was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of online eyewear store ArloWolf.com. Check out their stunning and good-value range of stylish frames, and get 10% off when you use our offer code 'MANN' at Arlowolf.com.

See You Next Tuesday!

5/9 - Life In Westminster

Would you be an MP, at a time when public trust in politicians has fallen to the lowest level in living memory? Could you dedicate yourself to your constituents, yet also make time for your family, fighting fires on social media and keeping the media on-side? 

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Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North since 2015, entered the fray in time to experience the Brexit vote, the murder of his colleague Jo Cox, and the Palace of Westminster coming under terrorist attack. 

In this candid interview with Olly, he lifts the lid on day-to-day life as a young MP in the House of Commons, from his experiences adapting to the weird traditions of voting and speaking in the House, to the perils of navigating Westminster’s gossipy backstairs bars and their modern-day digital equivalents on WhatsApp...

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Also this week, Ollie Peart completes even more of his challenges - experiencing a home-cooked Indian meal from Hersha Patel, securing VIP access to a festival, trying out the latest frankincense face-cream, and, er, pissing off the PR lady from the UK transfer of ‘Hamilton’. He even finds time to discuss a couple of actual trends for this week's Zeitgeist, namely the boom in crypto-currency Ethereum, and the teenage girl who loved K-Pop so much she got a hammer stuck in her mouth.

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox, fresh from a launch party in ‘a posh strip club’, reassures a listener who feels that having herpes may prevent her from ever having sex again. Turns out, there’s even a dating app to meet other herpes-positive people! #ShoutYourStatus

If you have a question of sex for a future edition of the show, or some feedback about how Alix's advice has helped you previously, please do reach out using our Feedback form.

The Foxhole is sponsored by our arousing and delightfully lubricated friends at MyCondom.Com - and remember, as a Mann-fan, you can get an astonishing 15% OFF by using our code ‘FOXHOLE’ at Checkout.

Finally, our record of the week is ‘Was It Love?’, by Isabella ‘Machine’ Summers, out now on Island Records.

We’re a completely independent podcast. That means we raise the funds for the show ourselves. If you enjoy what we do, please support us. You can buy us a beer, donate via PayPal, leave us an iTunes review, or offer to sponsor an episode - it's all greatly appreciated. Thanks!

See You Next Tuesday!