The News Meeting
Every Monday and Friday three journalists battle it out to try and convince the editor that their pitch should lead the news. Discover what goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom. Why do some stories dominate, while others fail to make the cut? Tell us if you agree with the final running order - email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com Book your place at a news meeting live in our newsroom - https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Producer: Casey Magloire Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone else A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword Recipes for every occasion Free tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Click here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
How did the seizure of a Russian oil tanker unfold? Is President Trump’s crypto-profeteering a bigger scandal than Watergate? And with the United States turning 250, is this a time to reflect on the UK-US special relationship?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Vanessa Thorpe and James Tapper, plus special guest - the host of The Making of Musk: Understood, Jacob Silverman. Today they battle it out to see who can p...
Will captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro get a fair trial in the US? Who is driving American foreign policy? How would Trump’s supporters view a military campaign?
Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer’s Washington Correspondent Hugh Tomlinson, Reporter Phoebe Davis, and lawyer Robert McWhirter as they give their assessment on the situation in Venezuela.
**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeetin...
Will the world turn against AI? Could the England men’s team finally win the World Cup? And who is the mysterious backbencher preparing to challenge Keir Starmer?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s consulting editor for comment, Erica Wagner; deputy sports editor, Andrew Butler; and Whitehall editor, Cat Neilan, as they look ahead to the stories set to shape 2026.
**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@...
It has been a busy year! The Epstein files were released, Prince Andrew is no longer a prince, The Lionesses won the Euros and Ozempic has taken hold of Hollywood. And they are just a few non-Donald Trump related headlines.
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Jeevan Vasagar, Poppy Bullard and Jessy Parker Humphreys, as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the year.
**We want to hear what you think! Ema...
Will European countries decide to give billions of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine? What did we learn about Trump’s White House from Vanity Fair’s 11 months of reporting? How should the government respond to the Palestine Action hunger strikers?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Senior Producer Katie Gunning, Data and Graphics Editor Katie Riley, and Data Reporter Hannah Schuller as they battle it out for the top story...
It’s been a huge year for British sport: the Lionesses roared to victory in the Euros this summer, the Red Roses won the Women's Rugby World Cup and Lando Norris won Formula 1 drivers' championship.
In such a record-breaking year across the sports, who deserves to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year? This year’s contenders are: Hannah Hampton, Chloe Kelly, Ellie Kildunne, Luke Littler, Rory McIlroy and Lando Norris.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called the shooting attack at Bondi Beach, Sydney, an act of terrorism and anti-semitism. The Washington Post has introduced AI-generated podcasts, and pro-democracy Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of national security offences.
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s technology reporter Patricia Clarke, senior researcher Serena Cesareo, and our very own producer ...
The Iranian leader said the water problem in the capital “cannot be solved” and has suggested evacuating the city’s nearly ten million residents. Iran and Egypt, two countries that criminalise homosexuality, were picked to play the World Cup’s Pride Match in Seattle. And some councils are now regularly paying more than £250,000 a year to support children with special educational needs.
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer rep...
Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. - including its film and television studios, HBO Max, and HBO - is set to have major ripple effects on both TV and cinema. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is applauding the Trump administration’s newly released national security strategy. Why is Moscow welcoming it? A border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is turning deadly. How are natural resources fuelling the tension?
Giles Whittell is join...
Will the next men’s football World Cup be the most politically tense in history? Did we learn anything from the latest round of peace talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s envoys? Is overdiagnosis of conditions like Autism and ADHD leading to worse outcomes for neurodiverse people?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Ides and Comment Editor Alex O’Connell, Deputy Sports Editor Andrew Butler, and journalist and au...
Why did Prime Minister Keir Starmer decide to defend himself and the Chancellor over last week’s budget? Rightwing activist and regular GB News contributor Lucy White claimed Commons deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani should not be allowed in the house because she was born in Pakistan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon in his corruption cases.
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observe...
Will the shooting of two National Guards in Washington DC change US politics forever? Should the UK roll out screening for prostate cancer? Did Chancellor Rachel Reeves miss an opportunity to gear up the economy for growth?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Cat Neilan, Steve Bloomfield and James Tapper, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day.
Find the teams Must Reads:
David Lammy has proposed scrapping jury trials in England and Wales for all but the most serious offences. Paramount Global has obtained exclusive streaming rights to the UEFA Champions League - a move that could redefine how football fans follow the sport in the future. Revelations that MAGA-supporting accounts on X are operated from countries like North Macedonia, Pakistan and Poland raise concerns about foreign-driven influence ...
Did international tourists go on “sniper safaris” to Sarajevo during the siege in the mid-nineties? Why do some campaigners want to halt the new medical trial into the use of puberty blockers? What lies behind renewed efforts to find a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Stephen Armstrong, Bex Sander and Francisco Garcia, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. ...
A Russian spy ship has directed lasers at Royal Air Force pilots monitoring its movements near UK waters. What is President Vladimir Putin trying to achieve with this latest provocation? Scotland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Can this rare moment of sporting joy help unite the nation? Meanwhile, councils are weighing up the sale of youth and community centres. What consequences could these closures ...
The Home Secretary has announced a raft of tough immigration controls to make the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migrants. The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to death, how is the UK connected to alleged corruption in her regime? And why does President Donald Trump suddenly want to release the Epstein files?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Cat Neilan, Bex Sander and Serena Cesareo, as th...
Twenty thousand documents from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released. Could emails referencing Donald Trump divide his loyal MAGA base? Has a No. 10 briefing warning backbenchers about a possible coup exposed a vulnerability in Keir Starmer’s leadership? And Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, but is that even possible?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Alexi Most...
Why are so many prisoners being released from prison by mistake? What happens if Arts Council England goes under? And what can the Democrats learn from Mamdani’s New York City mayoral election victory?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Deputy Sports Editor, Andrew Butler, Arts and Media Editor, Vanessa Thorpe, and reporter Jon Ungoed-Thomas as they pitch their top stories of the day.
Must Reads:
Will there be any voter suppression in Tuesday’s US elections? Why did a British university prevent one of its academics from researching human rights abuses in China? Are Sudan’s rebels using British-made equipment on the battlefield?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Data and Graphics editor, Katie Riley, Senior Audio Producer Katie Gunning, and Senior Researcher Serena Cesareo as they pitch their top stories of...
What do we do with the knowledge that climate change made Hurricane Melissa worse? Why was there such a deadly police raid in Brazil? And why isn’t hospice care treated as an essential part of healthcare?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Data and Graphics editor, Katie Riley, and reporters James Tapper and Rachael Healy, as they pitch their top stories of the day.
Must Reads:
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