On HQ Trivia, the Attention Economy, and Our Digital Selves—Alyssa Bereznak, The Ringer

With a Side of Knowledge

Before the pandemic, we were the show that invited scholars, makers, and professionals out to brunch for informal conversations about their work, and we look forward to being that show again one day. But for now, we’re recording remotely to maintain physical distancing.
It’s still a pretty fantastic job.
Alyssa Bereznak is a staff writer for theringer.com. She covers tech and culture, with a focus on media, celebrity, and how the internet is changing our lives. All these interests came together in a podcast she recently hosted and reported for The Ringer about a trivia app for your smartphone that aimed to do nothing less than change the future of television.
As you’d probably guess, it didn’t quite get there. Alyssa’s podcast, “Boom/Bust: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia,” tells that story while delving into the workings of our attention economy across eight compelling and insightful episodes.
She and host Ted Fox started their conversation with HQ Trivia, its meteoric rise to daily must-watch status for millions of people, and what was on the other side of that peak. That then led to them discussing the experience of making a podcast during the pandemic and other elements of our current media and internet landscape, including what happens at The Ringer when one of the biggest musicians in the world announces out of nowhere she has a new album coming that day at midnight.
And we promise you, Alyssa’s tweet-length review of Taylor Swift’s folklore is not one to be missed.
LINKS

• Alyssa’s Podcast: “Boom/Bust: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia”
• Alyssa’s Writing for The Ringer
• Episode Transcript