Land of the Giants, the Vox Media Podcast Network’s award-winning narrative franchise, today launched its latest season, The Facebook / Meta Disruption. Marking a collaboration between Recode by Vox and The Verge, the seven-episode season will tell the story of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, at a pivotal moment — both for the tech giant and for the billions of people who use its products. Hosted by The Verge’s deputy editor Alex Heath and Recode senior correspondent Shirin Ghaffary, the season will feature interviews with current and former employees and executives, from Meta’s top policy executive Nick Clegg and head of WhatsApp Will Cathcart to preeminent critics and tech leaders outside the company, like whistleblower Frances Haugen and Zynga founder Mark Pincus.
“Meta is one of the most impactful — and controversial — companies in the world, whose products are used by billions of people. It’s an important time to tell the story about this tech giant now, as it undergoes an unprecedented transformation toward its futuristic vision of the metaverse, while still dealing with the challenges of the present day,” say Ghaffary and Heath of the series. “We hope listeners will come away with a better understanding of what shapes the company’s motivations, and how it’s shaping our own.”
Land of the Giants: The Facebook / Meta Disruption completes the show’s examination of the five technology giants – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google, or FAANG – and how they dominate our lives, for better or for worse. The first episode, about Facebook’s controversial launch of News Feed back in 2006, is out today, with new episodes released weekly on Wednesdays. Listen to the trailer and first episode, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to receive new episodes automatically. This season of Land of the Giants is sponsored by Klaviyo.
About Land of the Giants: The Facebook / Meta Disruption: Big tech is transforming every aspect of our world. But how? And at what cost? In the latest season of Land of the Giants: The Facebook/ Meta Disruption, Shirin Ghaffary of Recode and Alex Heath of The Verge bring us inside the company that’s determined how the world interacts and communicates online. How has Meta shaped our relationships, and what’s in store for us as the company undergoes an unprecedented transition?
About Shirin Ghaffary: Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) is a senior correspondent for Recode by Vox, focusing on the intersection of tech, politics, and policy — particularly with regard to social media. She’s reported on how the Black Lives Matter thrived on Instagram, the rise of extremist online movements like QAnon, and internal turmoil at Facebook over how it handled the account of Donald Trump. She also co-hosted season three of Land of the Giants, on Google. Ghaffary joined Recode from BuzzFeed, where she covered national breaking news and trends for the site’s video division. She has had bylines in outlets including the San Francisco Chronicle and TechCrunch, and has appeared as an expert voice on programs including CNN, Here & Now, Recode Decode, and Today, Explained. Ghaffary was raised in the heart of Silicon Valley and in a previous life, worked at a tech startup.
About Alex Heath: Alex Heath (@alexeheath) is a deputy editor for The Verge, where he covers Meta, internet platforms, and the future of computing. Since joining The Verge in 2021, he has broken the news of Facebook’s rebrand to Meta, interviewed Mark Zuckerberg, and led the site’s coverage of the leaked Facebook Papers. Heath has been covering the technology industry for more than a decade in previous roles at The Information, Insider, and other outlets. His work has been cited by Congress and recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for having the best range of work. He has appeared as an expert voice on Good Morning America, BBC World News, MSNBC, CNN, Marketplace Tech, Today, Explained, and many other programs.
About the Vox Media Podcast Network: Named by Adweek as 2021’s “Hottest in Podcasts,” Vox Media Podcast Network has over 150 active shows featuring industry-leading editorial voices and storytellers from Vox Media’s networks and beyond. From daily news and tech to culture and sports, and talk and interview shows to rich narrative storytelling, the Vox Media Podcast Network is one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most topically diverse collections of premium podcasts. Learn more about the Vox Media Podcast Network here.
