The Slow Newscast

Tortoise Media

The Slow Newscast takes news slowly: every week we investigate one story that really matters

  • 32 minutes 45 seconds
    My boy Gianni: Infantino and Trump

    Gianni Infantino is the most powerful man in world football but in the run up to the 2026 men's World Cup, his relationship with US president Donald Trump has grown very friendly. It's led to questions whether Infantino still has football's best interests at heart.


    Reporter: Rory Smith

    Producer: Ada Barumé

    Artwork: Lola Williams

    Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

    Editor: Jasper Corbett 


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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    9 December 2025, 6:00 am
  • 23 minutes 50 seconds
    Inside the Treasury

    The chancellor’s budget was supposed to be a gamechanger, but turned out to be an exercise in political survival. This is the story of how Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves took on a radical budget.


    Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

    Producers: Jonathan Lewis and Matt Russell

    Sound design: Dominic Delargy

    Artwork: Lola Williams

    Editor: Jasper Corbett


    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]

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2 December 2025, 6:00 am
  • 29 minutes 27 seconds
    What's Left?

    When Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana announced a new political party this summer, it had all the ingredients to be a big success. But a summer of disarray has seen them overtaken by a rival on the left. What happened?


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 November 2025, 6:00 am
  • 27 minutes 48 seconds
    Deep Water

    Three years ago, travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving. An extreme and beautiful sport defined by one objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. It soon became a calling. Then, she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours that a group of top divers were doping to go deeper. So she decided to investigate.


    Reporter - Lydia Gard 

    Producer -  Gary Marshall. 

    Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

    Sound design - Rowan Bishop

    Podcast artwork - Lola Williams 

    Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne 

    Executive producer - Basia Cummings 


    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 


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    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]


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 November 2025, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 52 seconds
    William: The reluctant prince

    With Prince Harry in effective exile and Andrew disgraced, the Royal family is smaller than ever before and at a potential crisis point. Prince William has already signalled his intention to be a different kind of monarch to King Charles. But can the monarchy survive, and what is its purpose?


    Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

    Producer: Madeleine Parr

    Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

    Sound design: Dominic Delargy

    Editor: Jasper Corbett


    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 


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    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]

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 November 2025, 6:00 am
  • 25 minutes 54 seconds
    Epping: A very English uprising

    Over the summer, Epping, a small town on the outskirts of London became the scene of mass protests. featuring hundreds of people. Noisy and occasionally violent, the demonstrations attracted crowds from around the country and plenty of media attention.


    But what really happened in Epping and what does it tell us about where the right in Britain is heading?  


    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 


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    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]

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    4 November 2025, 6:00 am
  • 29 minutes 21 seconds
    Among the settlers on Gaza's border

    Just outside Gaza is a small settlement of Israelis hoping to enter and settle inside Gaza. They may be a fringe movement, but their voice holds a powerful sway within Israel's cabinet. Could they influence the terms of a future peace plan for Gaza?


    Reporter: Oliver Marsden


    Producer: Poppy Bullard and Matt Russell


    Artwork: Lola Williams


    Sound design: Dominic Delargy


    Editor: Jasper Corbett


    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 


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    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]

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 October 2025, 6:00 am
  • 44 minutes 25 seconds
    Trolled: Brigitte Macron

    The French President and the First Lady of France are taking American right wing commentator Candace Owens to court in Delaware over bizarre claims the First Lady is transgender and the President is part of a CIA-backed mind-control programme, among many other conspiracy theories. But how much are the French President and the First Lady risking in doing so?


    Reporter: Stephen Armstrong


    Producer: Ada Barumé


    Artwork: Lola Williams


    Sound design: Dominic Delargy


    Executive Producer: Matt Russell


    Editor: Jasper Corbett


    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 


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    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]

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 October 2025, 5:00 am
  • 34 minutes 49 seconds
    The shakedown: Donald Trump vs the media

    Donald Trump has launched four lawsuits against major media organisations for up to $15 billion over the past year. This is the story of Trump's war on the media and the people driving it.


    Reporter: Giles Whittell


    Producer: Jonathan Lewis


    Artwork: Lola Williams


    Sound design: Dominic Delargy


    Editor: Matt Russell


    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 


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    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]



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 October 2025, 5:00 am
  • 39 minutes 16 seconds
    Gaza's Deadly Aid

    Since May, almost 900 Palestinians are reported to have been killed in the vicinity of aid checkpoints. So what exactly has happened at these aid sites?


    Reporter: Ruth Michaelson

    Producer: Madeleine Parr

    Artwork: Jon Jones & Lola Williams

    Sound design: Dominic Delargy

    Editors: Jasper Corbett & Matt Russell



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 October 2025, 9:23 am
  • 31 minutes 58 seconds
    An uncivil war inside Unite

    Unite was once the biggest trade union in Britain, and the largest funder of the Labour Party. In the past its reputation has come under scrutiny. Four years after its first female leader was elected on a promise of restoring trust… it remains mired by in-fighting.


    In our podcast called “An uncivil war inside Unite”, which was released on 30 September 2025, we failed to convey Unite’s position that it is in good financial health and that the submission of its accounts has been delayed by a re-audit of the 2021 filing involving the Birmingham project which was overseen by the previous leadership regime. We apologise for this omission


    Reporter: Jon Ungoed-Thomas


    Producer: Jonathan Lewis


    Sound design: Dominic Delargy


    Art work: Lola Williams


    Editor: Jasper Corbett


    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


    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 September 2025, 5:00 am
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