The Slow Newscast

The Slow Newscast from The Observer takes the news slowly. We investigate, and every week we focus on stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. From wars in Ukraine and Gaza through to true crime and injustice and real life mysteries, The Slow Newscast team is devoted to narrative investigations covering some of the biggest topics of the day.

Who are the people biohacking themselves in a quest for immortality? Or the man taking on an entire nation in the high seas to protect whales? And what happened when humanity's most distant messenger fell silent? From a newsroom with a different approach to journalism these are the stories we tell.

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

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Episodes

The world inside

The new frontier of medical science is closer than you think – much closer. It lies within us, in the bacteria and viruses of the gut, and in the mysterious efficacy of faecal transplants. There’s so much hype in health journalism. But the study of the gut microbiome – the universe of bacteria living in our intestine – really is opening up a new age in our understanding of the human body that promises to unlock revolutions in drugs and healthcare, food and nutrition, wellbeing and even happiness...

Feb 01, 2020•29 min•Ep. 12

Coronavirus: is this the one?

One day, the next catastrophic global epidemic will strike. Scientists already know a few things about it: it will probably have crossed the species barrier from animal to human; it’s likely to originate in Asia; it will travel easily from person to person. The coronavirus has all those characteristics but we may be fortunate. The early signs are that it’s not as fatal as some of the viruses responsible for previous pandemics, and the lessons we learned from those outbreaks may help to contain i...

Jan 30, 2020•25 min•Ep. 11

Three women, homeless

We'd like you to meet Toni, Sharon and Nicky. You may have passed them on the street - somebody who listens to this podcast almost certainly will have done. But you won't have met them, any more than most of us really meet women who are homeless and sleeping rough in subways, stations and shop doorways. Audrey Gillan has spent time with all three women, hearing their stories; how they came to be where they are, and what their lives are like. The number of homeless women in the UK has shot up in ...

Jan 27, 2020•53 min•Ep. 10

Labour's North Star

The Labour Party in the UK is choosing a new leader. Few people care - after a crushing election defeat, the party has got work to do to make itself interesting again. It's a gloomy picture for Labour, but a surprise candidate is shining through. Could Lisa Nandy be Labour's bright new face? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 23, 2020•23 min•Ep. 9

The man who counts trees

Tom Crowther is a young ecologist who asked a simple question: how many trees are there on planet earth? The answer has changed our understanding of the world, but Crowther's work has provoked a firestorm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 16, 2020•23 min•Ep. 8

The new superpowers: Apple

For months, Tortoise has been investigating big tech companies as if they were countries: holding them to the same standards that we apply to nation states; caring about what they think; understanding what they're planning to do; figuring out who's in charge now, and who might be next. It's been a huge reporting project. In this week's podcast, Basia Cummings talks to two of the Tortoise editors behind it, Alexi Mostrous and James Harding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...

Jan 09, 2020•26 min•Ep. 7

Labour: anatomy of a catastrophe

Since the general election was called, one of Britain's foremost political journalists has been tracking the Labour campaign for Tortoise. Here's his story of tension and bad choices inside the party machine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 13, 2019•24 min•Ep. 6

Nameless, stateless: N3

To find out more about Tortoise go to tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code POD50 to become a member for just £1 a week, half our normal price. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 07, 2019•27 min•Ep. 5

Murder in Malta

The murder of the investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia denied Malta its best hope of beating endemic corruption and bribery. Her family have fought ever since for her legacy and for justice. This week events have taken dramatic turns, with arrests and the resignation of government ministers. Daphne’s son Paul, a reporter at Tortoise, has been at the heart of it all. Join Tortoise for only £50. Use code POD50 at tortoisemedia.com/friend Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Nov 29, 2019•34 min•Ep. 4

The PRince disaster

It’s easy to conclude that Prince Andrew shouldn't have agreed to give an interview to the BBC, but it’s more interesting to ask why he thought it was a good idea. Three Tortoise editors – James Harding, Basia Cummings and Ceri Thomas – have spent this week asking that question, talking to people in and around Buckingham Palace, and re-examining the Jeffrey Epstein case. In this week’s Tortoise podcast: how fears about a slimmed-down monarchy and financial independence led to a terrible misjudge...

Nov 22, 2019•27 min•Ep. 3

Techno Tories

In this election, the Conservatives are betting on youth to win the social media campaign. The kids running their digital strategy don’t know what a 30th birthday is like but they’re aggressively in charge. And, for better or worse, they’re changing the game. Tortoise editors Basia Cummings and Ceri Thomas get inside the digital campaign with help from fellow editors Alexi Mostrous, Polly Curtis and Matt D’Ancona. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Nov 15, 2019•35 min•Ep. 2

It’s Your Identity, Stupid

British politics is undergoing a fundamental shift. Traditionally, economics has been the key to who wins elections but in recent years - and turbocharged by Brexit - identity has come to the fore. The implications are enormous. Political parties are reshaping and their economic policies are being transformed. Tortoise editors Basia Cummings and Ceri Thomas explore what this could mean in this election and in decades to come. Guests in Edition #1 are John Aitken , Glasgow youth worker, Andrew (L...

Nov 09, 2019•44 min•Ep. 1

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