Economist Podcasts

Suck in the middle: the hole in America’s consumer base

May 12, 2023

Tom Lee Devlin, The Economist's global business correspondent; Fiametta Rocco, senior editor and culture correspondent; and Tom Wainwright, tech and media editor, tackle the shifting landscape of American consumer behavior. They discuss how inflation pushes middle-class shoppers toward budget brands while luxury markets remain resilient. The trio also dives into the transformative role of AI in journalism, weighing its potential benefits against job displacement concerns, and reflects on the importance of marginalized narratives through historical lens.

26:05

Creator website

Episode guests

Tom Wainwright

Fiametta Rocco

Tom Lee-Devlin

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Shifting Sands: Consumer Trends in Middle America

8min

AI and the Future of Journalism

7min

The Impact of AI on Employment: Opportunities and Threats

2min

Reclaiming History: Chandra's Story and Subaltern Studies

7min

The past few years have proved tumultuous both for American consumers and for retailers selling to them. The end result is a curious slump for middle-of-the-road brands. Artificial intelligence like ChatGPT stands to disrupt everything from art to coding; we self-interestedly explore probable effects on journalism. And remembering Ranajit Guha, a historian who saw a different India by looking bottom-up.

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