StoryCast '21: EP 21/21 The Y2K Prison Bug

StoryCast '21: EP 21/21 The Y2K Prison Bug

Author: Sky News December 30, 2021 Duration: 18:43
The biggest, and very first story of the year 2000, involved a bug that was expected to impact tens of millions of lives all over the world.
But unlike the Covid-19 pandemic of today, The Millennium Bug, or Y2K for short, was a computer programming problem, with predicted Armageddon-like consequences.
In the months leading up to the year 2000, people feared the world was on the brink of disaster; that planes would fall from the sky, cardiac pacemakers would stop, and nuclear reactors would shut down. The problem was devastatingly simple - computers were never programmed to read dates beyond 31 December 1999. And the inability to do so, at 12-midnight on 1 January 2000, could lead to a global computer crash.
Governments around the world spent an estimated $500 billion trying to fix the problem.
Each individual nation had their own unique concerns.
In Russia, the military moved to protect the software that secured their nuclear weapons systems.
And in Western Australia, the Ministry of Justice feared an overly automated prison system would fail, allowing the opportunity for thousands of inmates and the state’s most dangerous prisoners, to escape.
So, they hired Matthew Hackling, a young, unassuming cyber security engineer, who was then dispatched to the state’s most notorious prisons.
Could Matthew win the race against time to prevent this millennium catastrophe?

In 2021, Sky News is marking some of the century’s biggest news events through the personal stories of lives defined by unforgettable moments from the last 21-years. The Y2K Prison Bug is episode 21 — and the final instalment of StoryCast ’21.

CREDITS:

The Y2K Prison Bug was written and produced by Rob Mulhern.
Recordings and original idea, by Tom Gillespie
with special thanks to Matthew Hackling.
Archive, Simon Windsor
TV treatment, Victoria Hudson-Grant
Digital, Tom Gillespie
Head of Radio, Sky News, Dave Terris
Design and graphics, Brian Gillingham
Social media, Sam Gould
Press and Marketing, Alexandra Horton
Email: storycast@sky.uk
For more on this story, visit www.skynews/storycast21
#StoryCast21

From Sky News, Unreliable Witness | Storycast is an investigative series that digs into complex, real-world stories where the truth is often obscured. The current season examines the unsettling case of Ellie Williams, a young woman whose detailed allegations of sexual assault and grooming in her hometown led to a major police investigation and public outrage-before she was ultimately jailed for lying. But this podcast goes beyond the headlines of a false accusation. Reporters Jason Farrell and Liz Lane navigate the difficult terrain of this story, asking what powerful motivations could drive someone to construct such an elaborate fiction, and whether, buried beneath the proven deceit, there might be other, more nuanced realities left unexplored. It’s a careful, thoughtful look at how stories are shaped, believed, and sometimes weaponized, with profound consequences for everyone involved. Recognized with a Gold award for Investigative Journalism at the New York Festivals Radio Awards, this podcast delivers meticulous reporting that challenges easy conclusions, making it a compelling listen for anyone interested in the intersections of society, justice, and human behavior.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 54

Unreliable Witness | Storycast
Podcast Episodes
Introducing... Stuff Matters with Ed Conway [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Unreliable Witness 7: The Other Trial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:22
EPISODE 7: A new court case finally exposes abuse in Barrow. Jason and Liz have known about these allegations for years but they can only reveal the facts now. The case involves three brothers and it's taken their victim…
Unreliable Witness 6: Eleanor Williams – Inside [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:58
Police material is released, taking us to the moments they discover her battered at her flat and the night before her infamous post. They also reveal her reaction when accused of lying. Meanwhile Liz and Jason are given…
Unreliable Witness 5: I’m Coming for You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:39
It’s revealed Mohammed Ramzan has been facing allegations other than from Ellie Williams. Liz and Jason meet ‘Sarah’ - who says she was groomed as a child in Hull and accuses Mo of being involved in the gang responsible.…
Unreliable Witness 4: The Witness Who Went Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
Ellie has been sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison but questions have been raised about what evidence was presented and left out in court. One potential witness who wasn’t called on says she could have supported pa…
Unreliable Witness 3: I’m not a Psychopath [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:48
After Covid delays, the trial is finally held and Ellie Williams is in the dock. Liz and Jason were among the reporters at court when the extent of her claims were revealed for the first time, shocking the media and publ…
Unreliable Witness 2: Recipe for a Witch Hunt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:08
The fuse has been lit...and with limited information from police or in the news, social media speculation starts fingers pointing. Barrow is about to hit boiling point. Asian businesses are attacked. Individuals are targ…
Unreliable Witness 1: Who is Ellie Williams? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:59
Ellie’s family and boss share their worries about her leading up to the infamous Facebook post. Unexplained injuries. Becoming withdrawn. Incessant messages. Harassment on the street. Then she started to go missing regul…
Introducing: Unreliable Witness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:50
At the height of lockdown, 19-year-old Ellie Williams claims on social media she’s been trafficked by an Asian grooming gang across the North of England. Photos of her horrific injuries add to the outrage and the post go…
Patient 11: Episode 4 – Breaking free [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:45
A long serving doctor and his partner agree to help Alexis break out of psychiatric care and flee the country, a decision that has the potential to change all their lives. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.Cr…