Storytelling and power: how can we tackle wicked problems? - Rachel Extance | Website copywriter | Content Coach Wicked problems are those issues you wish didn’t exist in the world, like poverty, hunger, and climate change. The ones you want to wave a magic wand for, or don’t understand why we haven’t fixed yet....

I went along to the @bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk annual conference last week, where they talked about 'wicked problems' like climate change, food security, and mental ill health. Here's my review of the day and issues raised rachelextance.com/storytelling... #BennettInst

@profsanderlinden.bsky.social stresses the need to integrate prebunking into education from an early age, helping young people build resilience against misinformation and create a more informed society. #BennettInst

@dianecoyle1859.bsky.social asks about the role of tech companies in tackling misinformation. @profsanderlinden.bsky.social says they control information flow but prioritize profit over public interest. Change could happen when incentives shift—consumer pressure and regulation matter. #BennettInst

V. much enjoying this fast paced keynote on psychological inoculation against misinformation, though a little nervous to live-report any of it, till I've checked the citations at source #bennettinst

@profsanderlinden.bsky.social discusses scaling prebunking into policy solutions. With support from the Foreign Office, UN, and WHO, his team developed Go Viral!, a game that helps people build resistance to misinformation worldwide. #BennettInst

@profsanderlinden.bsky.social introduces "prebunking"—psychological inoculation against misinformation. Instead of just providing facts, exposing people to small doses of misinformation helps build resistance. The challenge is scaling this approach to be broad, effective, and engaging. #BennettInst

@profsanderlinden.bsky.social highlights how misinformation intersects with major societal challenges, from misdirecting resources to shaping policy decisions. #BennettInst

Delighted to welcome @profsanderlinden.bsky.social for our keynote on psychological inoculation against misinformation—sharing how his work with govts & social platforms helps citizens spot and resist manipulation. #BennettInst

Many thanks to our excellent panel for their insights on place-based inequalities and what can be done about them - @rodriguez-pose.bsky.social @jesstud.bsky.social & Tom Walker, chaired by @michaelkenny.bsky.social

We'll be back in 10 minutes for our keynote.

#BennettInst

"It's time for Total Place 2.0": John Denham in conversation with Jessica Studdert - New Local The best policy that almost was? Former Secretary of State John Denham & New Local's Jessica Studdert discuss their new paper calling for a come-back for place-based budgeting as we saw in the Total P...

Good to hear @jesstud.bsky.social bang the drum again for Total Place 2.0.

www.newlocal.org.uk/articles/tot...

#BennettInst

As yet, no direct discussion on role of the news media/social media in political disenchantment & neglected areas, I'm curious to know if the panel would support public policy interventions to support local media - and in what form #bennettinst

Tom Walker (Essex County Council) argues there is value in the mayoral model.

What you get with mayors - unlike with the Regional Development Agencies that preceded them - is a democratic mandate, which makes them hard to get rid of. This creates institutional stability.

#BennettInst

Brightening from the East by Ken Worpole - Little Toller Books In the many and varied essays in Brightening from the East Ken Worpole explores the Thames Estuary and the marshland shorelines to find that dreams of a better future originated here.

Good to hear Essex CC's Tom Walker quoting from Ken Worpole's @littletollerbooks.bsky.social book, Brightening from the East, as we talk about 'forgotten about' places. #BennettInst

www.littletoller.co.uk/shop/books/l...

@jesstud.bsky.social says that there is an opportunity with the devolution agenda to shift to a different way of governing.

At the moment hasn't been holistic enough. It needs to be about community-led policymaking, not just a repatriation of a function to a different level.

#BennettInst

Installing chess tables in parks and public spaces: prospectus

@jesstud.bsky.social from @wearenewlocal.bsky.social raising the issue of the levelling up chess tables at the @bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk conference. Here's the prospectus that was published . . .

#BennettInst

www.gov.uk/government/p...

@rodriguez-pose.bsky.social divide between cities and suburbs is widening. He highlights how most government policies have benefited already developed areas, leaving struggling places further behind. #BennettInst

We are in a crisis, says @rodriguez-pose.bsky.social . Stagnation in struggling places is driving people toward anti-system parties. #BennettInst

Now onto "tackling political disenchantment in ‘forgotten about’ places: what should governments try now?" Prof Andrés Rodríguez-Pose starts off, describing the crisis/crises we're in; why/how people are in revolt #bennettinst

@michaelkenny.bsky.social talks to @rodriguez-pose.bsky.social @jesstud.bsky.social & Tom Walker about how govts should tackle political disenchantment in ‘forgotten about’ places. #BennettInst

Thanks to our brilliant panellists @ninajorden.bsky.social , Prof Burchell, Kate Bell and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com for their thought-provoking insights on rethinking work. Join us after a short break for our next compelling session examining pressing policy challenges. Stay tuned. #BennettInst

Final insights from our stellar panel on transformative hopes for the future of work - collective action against "bad work" that harms wellbeing and society, envisions labour markets (more inclusive) and deeper engagement with trade unions as essential partners in workplace improvement. #BennettInst

If adults can work a 4 day week, could children only go to school 4 days a week? Great audience question at #BennettInst. My kids would approve of a 3 day weekend!

A provocative concept emerges - "pacing" careers by working fewer weekly hours but extending working life, redistributing leisure across the lifespan. This work-longevity tradeoff draws interest and scepticism. #BennettInst

How will early-career professionals develop in compressed 4-day environments that minimise informal learning? - the panel highlights explicit mentoring and intentional organisational socialisation as essential counterbalances. #BennettInst

Cultural shifts continue reshaping workplaces and work-life expectations. Perhaps most critically, decades of employer disinvestment in training has created a skills deficit that undermines productivity gains. #BennettInst

Environmental impacts of extended weekends spark debate - potential climate benefits versus consumption risks. #BennettInst

Are we willing to invest in transformation costs while thoughtfully managing technology's productivity potential alongside its risks? #BennettInst

The panel's Q&A:
- pandemic lessons reveal untapped efficiency opportunities in daily workflows. While hybrid models offer flexibility, their full impacts remain unclear.
- how reduced hours can coincide with productivity gains, challenging public sector assumptions (e.g. NHS).
#BennettInst

Four day week leads to different mindset about how work gets done says Brendan Burchell at #BennettInst

Amid technological disruption, economic pressures & changing work models, we face the danger of simply "relocating" disadvantaged workers rather than addressing fundamental issues. This reshuffling without structural solutions could deepen inequalities rather than resolve them. #BennettInst