Media Minded by ShoutOut UK

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused the attention of many to the ongoing challenges of disinformation, propaganda and misinformation and the potential harm it can inflict. Disinformation seeks to deepen divisions within and between Allied nations, and to undermine people’s confidence in elected governments. In order to counteract this, NATO publicly refutes false claims, debunks the main disinformation...

How does NATO communicate with the public in order to promote dialogue around security? As an intergovernmental organization that spans across 30 countries, harmonising all public diplomacy activities and coordinating communication activities NATO-wide is of utmost importance. To help us understand how NATO’s information activities work, we are joined by Piers Cazalet, the Head of Press and Media and Deputy Spokesperson. He leads a...

From 5G coronavirus beliefs to age old antisemitic tropes, it often feels like we are witnessing the rapid spread and dissemination of conspiracy theories online, with very real offline consequences. Putting out these digital wildfires before they take hold is both vital and necessary, especially in our social media dominated and hyper-connected world. Our final episode of this season attempts to do ...

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of non-state actors, the face of warfare has evolved considerably. To adapt to these changes, NATO has developed a unique and robust set of political and military capabilities to address the full spectrum of crises – before, during and after conflicts. In today’s episode, we look at NATO’s historic contributions to global security, as well as examine...

Not too long ago, on January 6 2021, swarms of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to win back the presidential election. A large number of those who took part in the insurrection were staunch believers in QAnon, a conspiracy theory that believes President Trump is a hero safeguarding the world from Satan-worshipping pedophiles, Democrat politicians and Hollywood celebrities. This c...

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is an ever-expanding Alliance and is currently made up of 30 independent member states. Even so, consensus decision-making is a fundamental principle of NATO and has remained so since its creation in 1949. In today’s episode, we speak to Sir Adam Thomas KCMG, the Director of the...

Does the UK have a policing issue? In recent years, there have been reports of ongoing problems within the police service, including the increased use of stop and search on minority communities, the use of discriminatory language in both public and private spaces, and the strip searches carried out on children. These systemic failings have led to public mistrust of law enforcement; the very people wh...

Contemporary threats faced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisaton (NATO) have changed substantially, and considering Russia’s bellicose international stance, well-documented election meddling, and invasion of Ukraine, it is crucial for the Alliance to ensure its unity and resilience. In this first episode, we develop an understanding of how NATO works, its history and how it promotes democracy acro...

The killing of George Floyd, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for eight minutes and forty six seconds spurred a wave of anger and protests across America and the globe. These demonstrations were an expression of outrage for the blaring racial gap in America and the many ways in which it manifests today –– from housing discrimination to police brutality. In today’s...

Taken from the sci-fi classic, The Matrix, the metaphor of the red pill has taken on new meaning within the incel community. It has given rise to the extreme, fatalistic Black Pill; a philosophy that labels women as shallow creatures who are only interested in the most attractive men. The incel community, alongside Men’s Rights Groups and Pick Up Artists, are insular and radical in their ideology – c...

“All human beings share an equal capacity to harm or to heal; once we start to convince ourselves otherwise, we’re setting the stage for violence.” In this special edition of the Media Minded podcast on antisemitism, which took place in-person at the US Embassy in London, we were joined by two former far-right members, Arno Michaelis and Nigel Bromage. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Arno Michaelis was...