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Who We Are

  • Ben Brock Johnson, Host

    Ben has more than a decade of experience in national and local radio, digital and print media. Prior to joining Marketplace as host of the weekday program Marketplace Tech, his previous work included WNYC’s The Takeaway and Slate’s “Future Tense” blog. His love of high-fives, ’80s movie references and good music helps connect him to his guests and listeners in fun and unexpected ways, all while discovering tech’s impact in surprising places.

  • Clare Toeniskoetter, Associate Producer

    Clare produces Codebreaker. Before joining Marketplace in April 2015, Clare worked with WNYC's Radiolab and On The Media and Slate's The Gist. A Michigan native, Clare got her start in radio hosting a show at her college station WCBN-FM and producing stories at Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor.

  • Golda Arthur, Senior Producer

    Golda is the senior producer of Marketplace’s technology coverage. Prior to joining Marketplace, she reported primarily for the BBC, but her work was also featured on NPR, CBC, Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera. Before moving to the U.S., she worked in London for BBC World Service Radio for more than a decade, as a producer and editor on the award-winning Newshour, as well as other news and documentary shows.

Additional Editorial and Production Team:

  • Sitara Nieves, Executive Producer
  • Nishat Kurwa, Senior Digital Producer
  • Tony Wagner, Assistant Digital Producer
  • Jake Gorski, Audio Engineer

Web Design and Development

  • Paul Brent, Digital Creative Director
  • Arjuna Soriano, Web Developer

Support:

  • Tina Admans, Director of Business Operations
  • Jeni Hatfield, Marketing Manager
  • Meggan Ellingboe, Communications Manager
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About

Hello world.

I’m Ben Brock Johnson, host of the podcast Codebreaker. On Codebreaker we decipher our complicated feelings about technology by asking straightforward questions with a sense of humor, a sense of awe and sometimes a sense of dread. In our second season we’ve got one question in mind: Can it save us?

Listen. Decode. Decide.

Codebreaker isn't just the name of our podcast, it's also a way to listen. Each episode contains a code to help you immediately unlock the next installment and ultimately the entire season. If decoding isn't your thing, that’s OK. Listen along with your favorite podcast or audio app, as we publish a new episode every Wednesday when in season.

Codebreaker is produced by Marketplace in partnership with Business Insider.

Contact Us

Questions? Comments? Get in touch. Email us

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Media & Press

For press inquiries, contact Meggan Ellingboe

IN THE NEWS: Some love for Codebreaker’s first season

FROM OUR DECODERS: What our fans have to say

  • “It’s easily one of the best tech podcasts around.”

  • “I really loved breaking the codes. Some I got right away, some I puzzled over with my family.”

  • “One of the most compelling and interesting podcasts out right now. This show raises the questions that many tech heads have been asking as we willingly submit to our technological dependence.”

  • “I listened to the whole thing this weekend. What really got me into it was breaking the codes, not to mention the funny and interesting content.”

Season 2

Can it Save Us?

Season two of Codebreaker is here. Listen to each episode, and crack the code to unlock the next one immediately. If decoding isn’t your thing, a new episode will hit your podcast feed every week.

Season 1

Is it Evil?

Missed Season one? It’s not too late to listen, decode and decide. You can still crack the codes below. If you would rather just listen, each episode is already unlocked.

  • Episode 1: Email

    A woman answers a mysterious email and finds herself on a plane, spam buries our inbox, and a band falls apart over the send button. Listen, decode, and decide: Is email evil?

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  • Episode 2: Internet Porn

    A man whose job is scrubbing porn from the web, adult film star Stoya's battle against free, pirated porn, and the dirty history of tagging. Listen, decode, and decide: Is internet porn evil?

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  • Episode 3: The Dark Web

    The couple forced onto the dark web to buy life-saving medicine, Ben buys a drug scale, and a researcher who says dark web markets might make the illegal drug trade safer. Listen, decode, and decide: Is the dark web market evil?

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  • Episode 4: The Software Update

    The software update that almost brought down the International Space Station with astronauts inside, updating software inside your body, and the days when even geeks dreaded installing new programs. Listen, decode, and decide: Is the software update evil?

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  • Episode 5: The Decisive Machine

    A guy who thinks machines can prevent crime, another who thinks machines could destroy humanity, and the machine-learning algorithm outsmarted by squirrels. Listen, decode, and decide: Is the decisive machine evil?

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  • Episode 6: Going Viral

    How people-rating app Peeple drew rage and put its co-founders in danger, how a 16-year-old embraced identity through virality, and the funny video that threatened to put its makers into crushing debt. Listen, decode, and decide: Is going viral evil?

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  • Episode 7: Data Tracking

    How targeted ads for a pair of men’s sandals broke up one relationship, the researchers trying to keep data tracking honest, and the casualties of ad blockers. Listen, decode, and decide: Is data tracking evil?

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