Can We Have Your Attention?

Phonogram
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Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast all about the War for Attention. Join Claire Coady and James Wickham as they dive into how your attention is attracted, tracked, traded, and manipulated in the modern attention economy. New episodes every other week, wherever you get your podcasts. Your Guides to the Attention Economy: Hosted by Claire Coady, a marketing expert who has advised governments and global brands on how to win the battle for attention, and James Wickham, a former BBC journalist who has spent a career inside the 24-hour news machine. This is a Phonogram production, in association with The Attention Practice.

  1. Jun 23

    How can the BBC win trust when nobody trusts anything? Legacy media, disinformation, and winning tactics with Rebecca Skippage

    Trust in news is down, and news avoidance is up. Many people don’t know what to believe, or who to trust. How can legacy media convince audiences to trust them when they're under attack – but loathe to change? Rebecca Skippage, the former Global Disinformation Editor at BBC News, joins Claire and James this week to discuss misinformation, disinformation, legacy media, meeting people where they are, and how organisations like the BBC can rise to the challenge.  Find out more about Rebecca Skippage: https://rebeccaskippage.com/In the UK, trust in news is at 30% (-5pp) – an all-time low – while news avoidance is at an all-time high of 50% (+4pp). More from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026: https://tinyurl.com/mr36zdpx Email your MP and ask them to support amendments to stop lies in election advertising (via Reform Political Advertising - a politically neutral campaign) https://tinyurl.com/59bbhz2w  Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast all about attention scarcity and the War for Attention. Join hosts Claire Coady and James Wickham as they dive into how your attention is attracted, tracked, traded, and manipulated in the modern attention economy.  Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com  Like this episode? If you enjoyed this episode, please click subscribe. If you really liked it, please leave a rating - every rating helps this podcast reach more listeners like you.

    51 min

  2. Jun 9

    Tired of Britain, Tired of Life? Populism, Polarisation, and Discontented Britain with Steven Lacey

    Is Britain broken, or is everyone just tired? Steven Lacey from cultural research company The Outsiders and the think tank Resilience & Reconstruction joins Claire and James to talk about their fascinating research into the forces of life driving populism. What is driving discontent? Why hasn’t politics been able to meet this challenge? And does the answer lie in reviving communities and the high street? The Outsiders: The cultural insight agency founded by Steven Lacey https://outsidersinsight.com/ Resilience & Reconstruction Think Tank: https://www.iorar.org/ The webinar recording on their recent research into the language, drivers and motivations behind right-wing populism: https://tinyurl.com/3psjjk4f An example of a local third space in action - “How Barnes & Noble Became Private Equity’s Most Radical Retail Experiment” via Bloomberg Businessweek: https://tinyurl.com/ypskz7kd (paywall)The best museum I have ever, ever visited on a work trip - The ABBA and Eurovision Museum in Stockholm. Run, don’t walk: https://abbathemuseum.com/en/  Claire's favourite piece of Swedish Pop: https://tidal.com/track/3922178/u And James': https://tidal.com/track/103017037/u Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast all about attention scarcity and the War for Attention. Join hosts Claire Coady and James Wickham as they dive into how your attention is attracted, tracked, traded, and manipulated in the modern attention economy.  Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com  Like this episode? If you enjoyed this episode, please click subscribe. If you really liked it, please leave a rating - every rating helps this podcast reach more listeners like you.

    40 min

  3. May 26

    Attention, Misinformation, and Polarisation: Tracking Election Misinformation with Tom Garnett, CEO of Refute

    How is your attention being exploited by people who deliberately make misinformation? Claire Coady and James Wickham are joined by Tom Garnett, the CEO of disinformation monitoring company Refute, to talk about misinformation and election interference.  For more on Refute and the work they do to combat misinformation and disinformation, visit their website: https://refute.com/ Refute’s report on misinformation in the Romanian and Moldovan elections: https://tinyurl.com/3zwhehww BBC News on the Moldovan parliamentary elections: https://tinyurl.com/dttukyvv CNN on the Romanian presidential election: https://tinyurl.com/ye2935tz Excellent reporting from the New York Times on how Generative AI is starting to, “wear down democracy”: https://tinyurl.com/4p9bczbf  Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast all about attention scarcity and the War for Attention. Join hosts Claire Coady and James Wickham as they dive into how your attention is attracted, tracked, traded, and manipulated in the modern attention economy.  Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com Like this episode? If you enjoyed this episode, please click subscribe. If you really liked it, please leave a rating - every rating helps this podcast reach more listeners like you.

    44 min

  4. May 12

    The Content Creator Economy: Content Creators, Influencers, and the Economics of a Social Media Business

    Do social media content creators make money? If so… how? Claire Coady and James Wickham discuss how content creators build their business: how they get started, build their audience, build businesses – or just make money. Why do they do it? What does it take to keep going? How do some make money on political content? And why haven’t we called them ‘influencers’? Mentioned in this episode: Research from HMRC and NatCen on the social media content creators as businesses (from Nov 2025) https://tinyurl.com/5y6x3tvt Market Oriented Disinformation Research by Carlos Diaz Ruiz - download for free via Taylor & Francis https://tinyurl.com/5dtub6wk The Attention Economy and How Media Works - Karen Nelson-Field https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16591/9789811515392 Fascinating interview with two X users who made money during the US election - via BBC News https://tinyurl.com/4fw8jbyr Example of a content creator who has found their niche (IG libbyythorntonn), and their audience (Claire) - what historic English monarchs would order from Spoons if they were alive today https://tinyurl.com/hkjm4dzc  We would like to thank every content creator who has contributed to our anonymous survey so far. We plan to cover this topic in more detail in future episodes. If you would like to share your experience, you can do so anonymously here: https://forms.gle/iRLgew5C2dsYL63w9   In memory of Ian Deeley, a talented broadcaster, technical wizard and most of all a fine friend. James’ tribute in full on his Substack: https://tinyurl.com/ykuss66d  Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast all about the War for Attention. Join hosts Claire Coady and James Wickham as they dive into how your attention is attracted, tracked, traded, and manipulated in the modern attention economy.  Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com  Like this episode? If you enjoyed this episode, please click subscribe. If you really liked it, please leave a rating - every rating helps this podcast reach more listeners like you.

    43 min
  5. The War on Business as Usual: The Pentagon, Brands, and the War for Attention

    Apr 28

    The War on Business as Usual: The Pentagon, Brands, and the War for Attention

    Claire Coady and James Wickham discuss the Department of Defence/Department of War rebrand and its fights with partners and suppliers. In September, Pete Hegseth suggested the U.S. military was being weakened by forces within - forces the Department would fight. How far will it go in that fight? If the US public doesn't want a war overseas, then is the war on business as usual - and are suppliers exposed? Plus, if political campaigning is harder in an overheated attention economy, and picking fights with business becomes more common, how can business prepare? This episode recaps Claire’s Substack post ‘Weaponised Brands in the War for Attention’: https://open.substack.com/pub/attentionscarcity/p/weaponised-brands-in-the-war-for The attention economy is harder to navigate - especially for political campaigns. More in ‘The Age of Attention Scarcity’: https://open.substack.com/pub/attentionscarcity/p/the-age-of-attention-scarcity Also: Gallup, 5 March: 1/3 of Americans say US defence isn’t strong enough https://news.gallup.com/poll/702767/americans-views-nation-global-image-power.aspx Band names are a strong, identifiable “message” in a two-second world - System1 Group & TikTok: https://system1group.com/creative-effectiveness-tiktok  Save your sanity and stay informed - introducing The Scroll, Scream, and Stop: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/clairecoady_were-back-on-the-latest-episode-of-can-activity-7449795220747137024-vR4I On the history of the term “war fighters”: https://angrystaffofficer.com/2022/04/11/whats-in-a-name-the-problem-with-warfighter/  Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast exploring the unseen forces that shape what we see, what we buy, and who we become. Hosted by Claire Coady and James Wickham, we dive into the mechanics of the Attention Economy to understand how value is created (and manipulated) in a distracted world. Production Credits: Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com  Enjoying the episode? If you found this conversation valuable, please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred player. Leaving a rating or review helps us break through the noise—and get the attention of more listeners like you.

    30 min
  6. When Brands Go Viral

    Apr 14

    When Brands Go Viral

    Claire Coady and James Wickham discuss what happens when brands become news. From the Kit Kat heist to Nutella in space to McDonald’s CEO attempting to eat a burger like a human, Claire breaks down what happens in the marketing teams, while James picks up what happens in the newsrooms. What goes through a brand teams’ minds? What do journalists think? And when is it ever really news? Mentioned in the show: McDonald’s CEO Went Viral. Now He Has to Win Back Customers | WSJ https://youtu.be/rZxnFI2OW9k?si=au3QAkZUI4lu6tfx  The Great KitKat Heist–Truckload of Formula 1 KitKats Stolen https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2026/03/30/chocolate-grand-theft-auto-italys-missing-f1-kitkat-shipment/  Breakdown of KitKat’s market entry strategy in Japan, which has wildly influenced its brand and marketing strategy worldwide https://blog.btrax.com/kit-kats-market-entry/  F1’s Corporate Brand Strategy - how it sells itself as an entertainment brand https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Formula-1-Strategic-Plan011320.pdf  If you like heists… Narconomics: How to run a Drug Cartel  https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16591/9781785030420  And weird robbery trivia… how Tide detergent became the most popular target for thieves in the United States https://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/  And finally - on brand valuation (i.e. why F1 Kit Kats were stolen, but Kit Kat itself was all the public could register): https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-brand-valuation  Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast exploring the unseen forces that shape what we see, what we buy, and who we become. Hosted by Claire Coady and James Wickham, we dive into the mechanics of the Attention Economy to understand how value is created (and manipulated) in a distracted world. Production Credits: Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com  Enjoying the episode? If you found this conversation valuable, please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred player. Leaving a rating or review helps us break through the noise—and get the attention of more listeners like you.

    38 min
  7. Is it time for a movement to reclaim attention? Discussing Attensity! with the Friends of Attention

    Mar 17

    Is it time for a movement to reclaim attention? Discussing Attensity! with the Friends of Attention

    In this episode Claire & James speak to D. Graham Burnett, the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History and History of Science at Princeton University and co-editor of Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement; and Peter Schmidt, the Program Director of the Strother School of Radical Attention. They form part of the The Friends of Attention; a loose network who share an interest in all things attention. Their book, Attensity! A Manifesto for the Attention Liberation Movement, argues that a movement of collective resistance is needed to tackle the 'human fracking' of attention. Strother School of Radical Attention https://www.schoolofattention.org/ The Friends of Attention https://friendsofattention.org/ Attensity! A Manifesto for the Attention Liberation Movement: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/478341/attensity-by-attention-the-friends-of/9780241810965 Other books/resources mentioned this week - so you can start studying, organising, and finding sanctuary: The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16591/9781782394853 The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16591/9781802063271 The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource by Chris Hayes: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16591/9781914484940 Finally, Louis Theroux’s documentary ‘Inside the Manosphere’ on Netflix (paywall) https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81920687  Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast exploring the unseen forces that shape what we see, what we buy, and who we become. Hosted by Claire Coady and James Wickham, we dive into the mechanics of the Attention Economy to understand how value is created (and manipulated) in a distracted world. Production Credits: Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com  Enjoying the episode? If you found this conversation valuable, please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred player. Leaving a rating or review helps us break through the noise—and get the attention of more listeners like you.

    40 min
  8. The Fog of Everything: Iran, War, Uncertainty, Anthropic and OpenAI with Andrew Cheatham

    Mar 3

    The Fog of Everything: Iran, War, Uncertainty, Anthropic and OpenAI with Andrew Cheatham

    Claire and James, with guest Andrew Cheatham, dive into the U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran, examining the flow of information in modern conflict and how AI has transformed it. The discussion focuses on the U.S. government's controversial decision to ban Anthropic's AI tool, Claude, labelling it a "supply chain risk." With OpenAI securing the same limits Anthropic requested, we ask: Is this ban about national security, or is it a political signal against "woke" ethics in technology? Wired: X is drowning in disinformation following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran https://www.wired.com/story/x-is-drowning-in-disinformation-following-us-and-israels-attack-on-iran/  Politico: Trump orders all U.S. agencies to cease using Anthropic https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/27/trump-orders-all-federal-agencies-to-stop-using-anthropic-00804517  New York Times: Pentagon standoff is a decisive moment for how AI will be used in war https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/technology/defense-department-anthropic-ai-safety.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QFA.zOQ2.S3TCzxNbYYX8&smid=url-share  Andrew Cheatham is a Senior Security Analyst at Global Guardian and Chief Counsel and Managing Director of Pragmatic Panic Legal and Social Services, a US non-profit supporting communities affected by global threats. He directs research on training AI in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. An Adjunct Professor at Boston University and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London, he has led initiatives on disruptive technologies and conflict at USIP and served with the UN in New York, Iraq, Libya, and Tunisia, and the African Union in Somalia. Support Pragmatic Panic's mission: https://www.pragmaticpanic.org/. Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast exploring the unseen forces that shape what we see, what we buy, and who we become. Hosted by Claire Coady and James Wickham, we dive into the mechanics of the Attention Economy to understand how value is created (and manipulated) in a distracted world. Production Credits: Hosted by: Claire Coady & James WickhamProduced by: Phonogram https://www.phonogram.co.uk in conjunction with The Attention Practice https://www.theattentionpractice.com Find out more on our website https://canwehaveyourattention.com Got a story for us? Email us: hello@canwehaveyourattention.com  Enjoying the episode? If you found this conversation valuable, please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred player. Leaving a rating or review helps us break through the noise—and get the attention of more listeners like you.

    40 min
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Can We Have Your Attention? is a podcast all about the War for Attention. Join Claire Coady and James Wickham as they dive into how your attention is attracted, tracked, traded, and manipulated in the modern attention economy. New episodes every other week, wherever you get your podcasts. Your Guides to the Attention Economy: Hosted by Claire Coady, a marketing expert who has advised governments and global brands on how to win the battle for attention, and James Wickham, a former BBC journalist who has spent a career inside the 24-hour news machine. This is a Phonogram production, in association with The Attention Practice.

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