2015 Hashtags Of The Year

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

#aylankurdi

20151216

#AylanKurdi picture - How one picture changed the nature of the debate about migrants in Europe.

On the 2nd of Sept, a picture showing a 3 year old Syrian boy dead on the beach first appeared on social media, where it became widely shared. Traditional media soon followed suit, and Aylan Kurdi's picture became the defining image of Europe's migrant crisis.

Credited with prompting a major shift in public opinion, it bolstered the #RefugeesWelcome movement, and sparked a response from Europe's leaders after months of shifting the blame. In Britain, within 3 days of the picture being posted, David Cameron announced that the country would welcome 20,000 more refugees by 2020.

But was it right to share the picture of a dead child in the first place?

Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.

#blacklivesmatter

20151218

The hashstag that galvanised a protest movement on a scale not seen since the 1960s.

Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.

#distractinglysexy

20151214

#Distractingly sexy - Following comments made by the Nobel scientist Sir Tim Hunt, the hashtag #distractinglysexy started a worldwide debate on sexism in science with female scientists poking fun at the idea that they were a cause of distraction in the lab.

But the hashtag also led to a polarised debate about whether Sir Tim Hunt had been fairly treated amidst the Twitter storm his comments provoked.

A debate that still rages on, and that - some argue - is distracting from the original intention of the hashtag.

Correction: Connie St Louis was mistakenly described as a professor of journalism at City University. She is in fact a senior lecturer.

Comments made by the Nobel scientist Sir Tim Hunt started a worldwide debate on sexism.

Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.

#jesuischarlie

20151215

#JesuisCharlie - How a fringe newspaper became a worldwide symbol for freedom of expression - and tested the limits of satire.

Ever since it was created in the 1960s, Charlie Hebdo has always prided itself on being 'mean and nasty' and on holding nothing sacred. And yet, earlier this year after 10 of its staff were killed in a shooting, its name has inspired one of the world's most recognisable slogans 'Je suis Charlie', a rallying cause for free speech, which spread around the world via social media and inspired many causes.

The recognition and support brought the paper wealth and an international audience, but also a level of scrutiny it had never experienced, with its past and current covers now being shared around the world, debated and often criticised as people argue over the limits of satire.

How a fringe newspaper became a worldwide symbol for freedom of expression.

Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.

#thedress

20151217

#Thedress - How a dress from Birmingham became the year's biggest talking point as people debated which colour it was - dark blue & black or white & gold. For some, the debate suggested an existential crisis over the nature of sight and reality, which could go as far as harming interpersonal relationships. Others expressed their dismay at the triviality of the whole dispute. Was discussing the dress a huge waste of time, or did we learn something in the process?

How a dress from Birmingham became the year's biggest talking point.

Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Comments
#aylankurdi	20151216	#AylanKurdi picture - How one picture changed the nature of the debate about migrants in Europe. On the 2nd of Sept, a picture showing a 3 year old Syrian boy dead on the beach first appeared on social media, where it became widely shared. Traditional media soon followed suit, and Aylan Kurdi's picture became the defining image of Europe's migrant crisis. Credited with prompting a major shift in public opinion, it bolstered the #RefugeesWelcome movement, and sparked a response from Europe's leaders after months of shifting the blame. In Britain, within 3 days of the picture being posted, David Cameron announced that the country would welcome 20,000 more refugees by 2020. But was it right to share the picture of a dead child in the first place? Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.
#blacklivesmatter	20151218	The hashstag that galvanised a protest movement on a scale not seen since the 1960s. Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.
#distractinglysexy	20151214	#Distractingly sexy - Following comments made by the Nobel scientist Sir Tim Hunt, the hashtag #distractinglysexy started a worldwide debate on sexism in science with female scientists poking fun at the idea that they were a cause of distraction in the lab. But the hashtag also led to a polarised debate about whether Sir Tim Hunt had been fairly treated amidst the Twitter storm his comments provoked. A debate that still rages on, and that - some argue - is distracting from the original intention of the hashtag. Correction: Connie St Louis was mistakenly described as a professor of journalism at City University. She is in fact a senior lecturer. Comments made by the Nobel scientist Sir Tim Hunt started a worldwide debate on sexism. Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.
#jesuischarlie	20151215	#JesuisCharlie - How a fringe newspaper became a worldwide symbol for freedom of expression - and tested the limits of satire. Ever since it was created in the 1960s, Charlie Hebdo has always prided itself on being 'mean and nasty' and on holding nothing sacred. And yet, earlier this year after 10 of its staff were killed in a shooting, its name has inspired one of the world's most recognisable slogans 'Je suis Charlie', a rallying cause for free speech, which spread around the world via social media and inspired many causes. The recognition and support brought the paper wealth and an international audience, but also a level of scrutiny it had never experienced, with its past and current covers now being shared around the world, debated and often criticised as people argue over the limits of satire. How a fringe newspaper became a worldwide symbol for freedom of expression. Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.
#thedress	20151217	#Thedress - How a dress from Birmingham became the year's biggest talking point as people debated which colour it was - dark blue & black or white & gold. For some, the debate suggested an existential crisis over the nature of sight and reality, which could go as far as harming interpersonal relationships. Others expressed their dismay at the triviality of the whole dispute. Was discussing the dress a huge waste of time, or did we learn something in the process? How a dress from Birmingham became the year's biggest talking point. Series looking at the impact of the hashtags that got millions talking.