My News Podcast Recommendations
Since 2018 keenly interested in the news as a sixth form student who ventured for something beyond the twittersphere or facebook’s newsfeed click-bait, snappy infinite scroll stream of news. Only really engaging extensively by the clicks, the news channels of Sky News and BBC News as grandfather played into the background of my afternoon post school visits to the grandparents. Getting to listen to podcasts when 17 to 18 years, how often are you picking up a copy of a news-paper, reading a magazine of the likes of The Spectator, The New Statesman, Private Eye? You may casually consume a quick skim read of an article someone shared on facebook or twitter, an instagram story, Tik-Tok video. As I did the likes of The Last Leg and Have I Got News For You studying politics in the age of Trumpism and a Post-Brexit age doing an A-Level on Government and Politics and want to take it seriously in an age of ever-changing drop of news without time to ask the questions and analyse not for those avidly interested need access for good news. If we are to be more informed voters, consumers and activists not just students. I’ve frequently consumed news through bulletins and the extended 15 minute BBC News-beat programming which gave me access to informative news through my teenage years gave me reliable trustworthy news in the age of disinformation and fake news reporting on issues that affected my generation.
I’m an autistic person with sensory processing differences including visual processing differences, also dyspraxia and possible ADHD. So when I wished to consume in-depth news beyond the snapshot of the bulletins to ask the Why? How? the background and the legacy of times to come on the stories focusing reading long-form articles to read on seems like a chore and tedious. I often tried and did pretend to read in school as it seems exhausting and zapping energy and concentration to read pages on pages, keep place and think of what I read mean’t. As I listened to podcasts of Greg James drive podcast and the infamously entertaining Scott Mills Daily (will be missed). 2018 launched ‘Today In Focus’ a Guardian podcast daily with a similar format to New York Times’ ‘The Daily’ and ‘Beyond Today’ a BBC Radio 4 podcast a spin off of the stations flagship news and current affairs programme ‘Today’ focusing on one question going beyond the headlines and asking musings minds will wonder about whats shaping news and conversation targeted at a younger audience with focus on lifestyle, pop-culture, social issues as with the usual politics and economics stuff.
Beyond my light comedy and entertainment listens I had a new horizon of viewing the world’s news and giving me a greater understanding of the world we live in. With podcast inspired an audible subscription and completing many audio books.
As this is something I’ve wanted to publish for a short while and had in draft ideas. Not a religious listener to these podcast with a daily habit but enough to recommend. As I await to hear Jon Sopel former BBC’s American Editor and co-host of ‘Americast’, Emily Maitlis former lead anchor of BBC Two’s flaghsip nightly news programme a show for the news junkie juggernauts and the politicos amongst us News Night was where Maitlis interviewed many top guests as the most remembered one the Prince Andrew interview that focused on his allegations of historical sexual abuse and relations with disgarced Jefferey Epstein from Buckingham Palace and Lewis Goodall a ‘rising star’ of the news scene former Policy Editor of News Night. With their ‘The News Agents’ podcast launching with its first evening episode on August 30th yet another daily news podcast with Global, Uk’s fasted growing commercial news company owner of LBC and LBC News. It would be good timing to look at the podcasts that are already being made that is worth a listen and firmly favourites in my podcast feed.
The Rest Is Politics
Launched this year, of one I’ve become a regular weekly listener that consists of Alistair Campbell former Labour spin doctor working for both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as when they both were prime minster were their communications director. He now has become someone who has taken his hand to communicate for himself as a political commentator and Editor-at-large of ‘The New European’ a pro-european pro European Union weekly newspaper launched after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. Joining him along for more than just balance Rory Stewart painted often as the conservative parties voice of reason in the party between 2017–2019 and that reputation follows him in his post cabinet and post parliamentary career.
The former Mayor of London candidate and tory hopeful candidate with Campbell for a reflection of two people of different political backgrounds and who can disagree on many things but figures of the Blairite and Cameronite ages of centrism hold’s the government accountable, but has a distinct value that any radio can have people dissecting the news from news who been inside the machine of government parliament and who are involved in foregin charity and organisation work and academia lectures can give a unique insight to the political events that might not be covered else where in this way. So far they extended to offer a bonus weekly episode of ‘Question Time’ responsible to some revelations and some friction but disagree and agree alike with warmth and mutual respect in a softer tone of argument and debate rummaging with questions of Apple Podcasts top podcast. This shouldn’t be recommended for how popular it is. With Tony Blair, Keir Starmer and William Hague giving extended feature interviews it offers something television and radio doesn't give time for.
The NPR Politics Podcast
The NPR Politics Podcast made by the american public service network ‘NPR’. This podcast, a daily one with occasional multiple daily editions on key special occasions with more of a story to tell. Briefly in typically 15–20 minutes the podcast acts a daily diary dispatch of the political goings on on the Capitol and the Whitehouse taking note of the political events on Washington D.C, the heart of American politics with the wealth of its correspondents and reporter expertise. Fairly impartial and fact based listen, more impartial anyway than Fox News or CNN, anyway! If you want to know who’s running what’s going on with the Biden administration and the fall out from the January 6th 2021 militant coup attempt from President Trump’s followers this is the one and the one If I listened may have helped me with revising for the American Paper of my A-Level (American politics is much, much complicated than british PACs Super PACs and the rest. You’d think having a written constitution would make it much, much harder!). I sure will be tuning in to hear the run-up and result of the mid term elections and If Trump declares his interest for the 2024 Presidential Election.
Red Box Politics Podcast
A firm favourite since early 2020 as I looked to expand my horizons of my political news diet, listening would leave you craving more Chorley. The podcast initially launched as an expansion of the Red Box email news letter than edited by Matt Chorley. As I tarted listening to the podcast that discussed the political ins and outs of the week taking listeners through the turmoil of Brexit and snap elections the show was about to change as The Times of London set ambitions to launch a new radio station a brand extention of The Times, Times Radio. Times Radio launched with figures like Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News, John Pienaar of the BBC a veteran journalist serving as BBC’s Deputy Political Editor and 5 Live broadcaster and Phil Williams who also broadcasted for BBC 5 Live of their late night programme.
Chorley with Times Radio as a launch presenter of the daily politics programme made his radio debut with ‘politics without the boring bits’. The podcast once weekly now airs daily released in the afternoon as a highlights of his politics programme with interesting chat that sheds analysis and enlightening education that leaves the listener with new nugget of information with each listen. The podcast has commentators and columnist digesting the news stories of the day with the likes of Daniel Finklestein, David Aaronovitch, India Knight and James Marriott.
His podcast would rank at the top of my recommendations. As its not just politics its entertainment he makes it talk radio tolerable and not boring. leaving his opinion at the door as I tuned to Times Radio as it launched in the pandemic June 30, 2020 a radio station I could listen to.
The podcast reflects ‘the big thing’ featured in his show with focus groups, unpacking prime ministers questions and disunited kingdom as feature regular content chatting to the likes of Rishi Sunak, Harry Hill and Gyles Brandreth and adressing issues such as: How to Stop the NHS Killing People? follow up from The NHS IS Killing People with a chat with Jeremy Hunt. Looking at the cogs and wheels and backdoors of how politics works and exploring the political issues of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
The Media Show
Was presented by Amol Rajan BBC News’ Media Editor, now presenting duties are shared by Ros Atkins BBC News’ Analysis Editor and Katie Razzal BBC News’ Culture Editor for BBC Radio 4. At the length of the radio programme the shows tight knit 28 minute length to be precise is often too short with more questions and points to be asked. It does at times with the short length of the chats setting up the conversation adding context doesn't allow for expansive answers and looking at the issue of all angles. The Media Show is one of the shows or only show I can name that looks at issues within world and specifically United Kingdom’s media. Under Rajan’s days some interviews got to dominant of presenter getting far too agressive. Things seem to mellowed out.
I don’t listen to all but am a person with focused interest of the media so tune in for some. The podcast is one that has reflected on the news of the industry including the issue of ‘What’s next for Channel 4?’ as the government flirts for privatisation, bonus at length chats with Piers Morgan and Andrew Neil. The show focuses on how the industry reports on the news and giving a glimpse of behind the scenes of the war in Ukraine and the capitol militant coup riot of January 6th, 2O21.
Media Storm
From the house of ‘The Guilty Feminist’ a ritual religious weekly listen of stand-up comedy, talks, music discussing acts of feminism and our guilty moments where we might have not been, well as feminist with producers like Deborah Frances-White and co-producer and partner Tom, I knew it would be good. I heard on ‘The Guilty Feminist’ this podcast being plugged and promoted with presenters Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia talking to Deborah Frances-White on the launch of the podcast. I knew eventually I had to and don’t regret it I will go as far too emphasise its the most important on this list to hear the British Podcast Awards seem to be on the same sheet as the podcast won the Gold Award this year in the category ‘Best Current Affairs’ podcast of the year, rightly so!
The podcast goes one better than BBC’s ‘The Media Show’ it isn’t a how or behind the scenes of how our news and the stories we read get on the radio and television or hot media news. It is a ‘Media Storm’ but fills in the cracks of where most media fails to start with those asked last its more of a responsible scrutiny and reflection of what the media gets wrong it’s critical in ways the BBC cant be. BBC may challenge but it doesn’t have the time to look at the wider picture the consequences and the impacts of what comes after the story is reported and asking, is this right? This podcast does just that you won’t have BBC, The Times & The Sunday Times, Global Player etc. creating a podcast that looks at the flaws in modern journalism. It could be said only two independent journalists are up for the task. The title is inspired from the storms and the whipping up of the ‘culture wars’ that most media drives that stifles journalism that has the time to step back and think with sense of compassion and empathy and to changer the ethics and ethos of the news.
Media Storm speaks to the under represented ‘where fact checking meets fun, reporting meets road-trip and the media meets its match’ as its the description reads ‘Here we provide a space for minority groups a right to reply’ on the issues and headlines about them but without them. It challenges and battles with what we think and it’s one of the few podcasts that can drop on your feed and have engaged reflection with what you just heard. It’s healthy check on ones morals of those who are dehumanised and demoralised.
The conversations on the programme addressed those who have been on the end with first hand experiences. Episodes included ‘Eldorado: Why do refugees ‘love the UK’ with Steve Ali a refugee based in UK from Syria and ‘Sex workers: Ignored and under threat’ with Niki Adams from english collective of prostitutes advocating for full decriminalisation of sex work with guest from Womens’ Strike Assembly Bristol Sex workers and Decrim Now. They discuss issues important to myself that have been for time been crying out to be told as they do. If you read minorities stories on frontpages, do get to know their real stories listen to them!
The Overview
Debuted this year from the journalist team from the writers at ‘The Week’ with wealth of specialist insight. But not exactly reporting ‘in the moment’ doing what I would do if I launched a news podcast reflecting on the past, present and future of ideas in news of things reflected in the headlines of now. What I recommending it for is simple of how it disucsses an issue and gives me something new and bit of an education within just over twenty minutes on issues ‘Why are more books being banned?’ the culture wars on political censorship of polarising and divisive material in wake of the assassination attempt of Salman Rushdie author of the book ‘Saitanic Verses’, with the victory of Englands Women’s team bringing it home ‘Has women’s football finally broken into the mainstream’ and ‘Are politicians the new celebrities’ looking at modern post populist politics.
BBC Newsbeat
Exclusively streaming on BBC Sounds. Strictly not a podcast but it is at length of daily podcast (twice daily) at 15 minutes length Radio 1, Radio 1 Xtra and Asian Networks extended news programming this was the first source of audio news I engaged with as it was targeted to my age bracket and of the station I tuned into on a regularly. It provides for a younger audience news and current affairs reporting across entertainment, sport, crime, world news, politics, health, mental health, schooling, politics and culture. A first door into audio news remember listening to reporting of 2015 Election, Brexit outcome, Grenfell, Manchester terror incident at an Ariana Grande concert, the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, much, much more, what got me into news!
Stories Of Our Times
Launched in 2020 just ahead of the launch of The Times & Sunday Times’ radio station ‘Times Radio’ to accompany the station providing a podcast that could be compared with New York Times’ The Daily and The Guardian’s Today In Focus. Presented by Manveen Rana and David Aaronovitch ‘One remarkable story, told in depth, each day.’ The Times describes the podcast which brings the wealth of the journalistic talent of one of the worlds oldest newspapers journalism to podcast. With their journalists bringing their stories to life and talking to people who are at the heart of the story of the days episode. The series has exposed its investigations and exclusive reporting and on the ground reporting of world news with informed analysis. There have been multi-episode documentary series within the podcast feed much like a news paper feature read or a fascinating documentary could find on BBC Radio 4. The series has covered the Ukrainian war, cost of living crisis, coronavirus, culture wars, party-gate and a post Johnson Tory party and the fall of Afghanistan back into the hands of the Taliaban
From Coronavirus, Climate change, biodiversity to mental health the podcast from The Guardian focusing on news within the realm of the scientific world. In a world where fact on all things scientific is key with the coronavirus pandemic, what we understand about or mental health and our physical health to the growing concerns about our planet with hotter and drier summers and floods seeing health crisis and climate crisis are calls for scientific understanding within the public. As we look to the future we need it in our news digest. I tuned into this podcast a short few times but would again. Some interesting listens at a short length nothing really over twenty minutes long one of the few trusted science news podcasts comes twice a week, worth a try!
World Review
World Review from ‘The New Statesman’ a news magazine I’d happily subscribe to (more happily than The Prospect anyway) discusses global politics and current affairs and international relations. As someone becoming more keenly interested in on the ground politics of nations beyond my own and beyond the interest of american politics this seems one I’m content with tuning in, no thrills down to the grit of what is going on in the world. With space for listeners to pitch questions to the presenters and editors it gives an informed look on world news than a short headline and gets in to more in-depth chatter than even what can hear on many outlets. I like the space for magazines more than most news-papers still put Prospect on a good list with some of their content. But, to what could hear in a news programme or a news-paper the cycle of news can feel more disposable but with more long form writing and in depth analysis and reportage, digging that important, little bit deeper for those who are realy interested in the french elections, the Ukraine war or what is going on in Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, Israel and Afganistan, the New Statesman has you covered.
With worthy listens from Leonid Volkov someone who works for Navalny’s opposition party in Russia, campaign on voters strike and founding the Society of Protection of the Internet answering the question, Can Putin be toppled? Responding to the world where we at, and where we are going
Choppers Politics
Not that as a ‘woke’ liberal i’d ever buy a copy of or a subscription of ‘The Telegraph’ loathing the papers conservative Johnsonite Faragist right wing appeal of being the Daily Mail or Daily Express for Waitrose shoppers with its woke bashing and ‘Torygraph’ like status. However, This podcast from Christopher Hope known to his friends casually as ‘Chopper’ hence the title ‘Chopper’s Politics’ is worth at times worth listening to if want to get hot gossip on government. It is much a ‘gossip-cast’ chatting mostly to politicians of the governing party like Current Attorney General Suella Braverman, Former Leadership hopeful and speculated to be selected as Education Secretary in Truss’s Cabinet Kemi Badenoch, The man hoping to be the next prime minister but wont be the next prime minister Rishi Sunak, Former MP Neil Parish, Kit Malthouse, Brandon Lewis, Mark Harper, current Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Rees-Mogg and Dowden. Reading that exhaustive list its easy to see how they can call it the ‘Torygraph’, Isn’t It? Should I for balance give some non-tory names? The Labour’s token tory TERF Rosie Duffield, SNP’s Ian Blackford, Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan and GB News’ UKIP and Brexit party populist campaign heavy weight Nigel Farage. Its basic tittle tattle of the ins and outs of the streets, alleys and corridors of the westminster circle whats the word in the cliquey tribes and quick movements in politics to thirst a politicos appetite for hearsay
