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 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 hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
An Essex council has been granted a High Court injunction to stop a local hotel from housing asylum seekers. What is behind the massive growth of Women’s Rugby and support for the Red Roses? Will a tax on tourists help boost local economies and support the arts?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Ceri Thomas, Vanessa Thorpe and Jessica Hayden, as each try to pitch the top story of the day.
Read more on today’s s...
Will Zelensky find any success with Trump, in the wake of the Alaska Summit? What does the militarisation of Washington DC tell us about America’s political direction? And why are MPs making TikToks?
Rebecca Moore is joined by the Financial Times’ Working It Editor Isabel Berwick, Plus The
Observer’s Katie Riley and Stephen Armstrong, as each try to pitch the top story of the day.
Links to the team’s Must Reads and...
Will facial recognition technology change law enforcement forever? JD Vance has been wooing his British political allies in the Cotswolds, but will a new think-tank deepen US influence in right wing politics? Is the government at risk of losing public support after the Palestine Action arrests?
Giles Whittell is joined by the Observer’s Whitehall Editor Cat Neilan, News Reporter Jon Ungoed Thomas and Consulting Editor for ...
What proof has Israel provided to support their claim that Anas al Sharif ran a Hamas cell in Gaza? Why has the partnership between Premier League Football and Stonewall ended? And will Putin’s visit to the US bring an end to the war in Ukraine?
Giles Whittell is joined by NPR’s International Correspondent, Lauren Frayer. Plus the Observer’s Serena Cesareo and Jessy Parker Humphreys, as they battle it out and pitch the top...
Is it wrong for the government to ask police to release information on the ethnicity and immigration status of crime suspects? As countries gather for the UN plastics summit, just how much of our lives are contaminated by plastic? Who is the YouTuber behind the misinformation campaign targeting France’s First Lady?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Political Editor Rachel Sylvester, reporter Phoebe Davis and reporter Ja...
As the UK Parliament takes its summer break, has Reform seized the media spotlight and emerged as a viable third-party contender? What are the risks of uploading ID to age-restricted websites under the Online Safety Act? Will Trump impose his peace deal deadline on Russia if Putin refuses negotiations?
Rebecca Moore is joined by The New Statesman’s Associate Political Editor, Rachel Cunliffe. Plus the Observer’s Poppy Bullard an...
Are male novelists a dying breed? Can women trust apps with their personal data? Are tariffs the only way Donald Trump knows how to do diplomacy?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Home Affairs Editor John Simpson, Head of Data and Graphics Katie Riley and Consulting Editor for Comment, Erica Wagner.
Links to the team’s Must Reads here:
Is the UK’s decision to conditionally recognise the state of Palestine more symbolic than practical? As protests in Epping continue, how is rhetoric around asylum seekers impacting children from ethnic minority backgrounds? Now that the Lionesses have won the Euros for a second time, is this confirmation that the hard work put into the women’s game has paid off?
Giles Whittell is joined by ITV News Presenter and Loose Women pane...
Are Labour’s concerns about social cohesion a sign that they may be aligning with some of Reforms ideas on immigration? Why does Kemi Badenoch want to outlaw doctors’ strikes? And are the latest aid drops in Gaza a sign of change to come?
Jasper Corbett is joined by journalist and broadcaster David Aaronovitch. Plus, the Observer reporter Stephen Armstrong and senior producer Katie Gunning.
Is Belgium paving the way for more international action over Gaza? Have the Lionesses paved the way for a permanent change in English football culture? What’s going on at Unite?
Rebecca Moore is joined by three Observer journalists. Senior Digital Editor Claudia Williams, Sports Reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys and Architecture Critic Rowan Moore.
Links to the team’s Must Reads here:
Why has Israel launched a new air and ground offensive in Gaza, where many international aid organisations are operating? Will plans to overhaul the water companies in England and Wales work? And why is Donald Trump suing Rupert Murdoch?
Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer’s Head of Data and Graphics, Katie Riley, researcher Serena Cesareo, and reporter Stephen Armstrong.
Links to the team’s Must Reads here:
<...Will the conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein divide Trump from his MAGA supporters? Can British culture accept genetically modifying embryos to prevent serious diseases? And why have we only just learned of the data breach involving Afghan refugees?
Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Head of Audio Jasper Corbett, reporter Phoebe Davis and producer Poppy Bullard.
Links to the team’s Must Reads here:&n...
Is climate politics full of hot air? What’s next for the government’s Prevent scheme? What’s behind falling vaccine rates in some parts of the country?
Rebecca Moore is joined by a trio of Observer reporters: Whitehall editor Cat Neilan, Senior Audio Producer Katie Gunning and Senior Writer Francisco Garcia.
You can read Rebecca’s Must Read HERE
And you can read Francisco’s Must Read HERE
**Join us at the News Mee...
The Observer recently published a major investigation into the bestselling memoir The Salt Path. In this special episode, Giles Whittell is joined by the journalist behind the story, Chloe Hadjimatheou, and her editor, Alexi Mostrous, to discuss how the investigation unfolded.
To read Chloe’s piece click here.
To read Raynor Winn’s rebuttal, click here.
To listen to the episode of The Sensemaker outlining Chloe’s pie...
Are Britain and France on the cusp of yet another agreement over small boats? Could the Texan floods have been prevented? Can women trust the justice system?
Rebecca Moore is joined by Observer reporters Phoebe Davies and Serena Cesareo, and the journalist and author Jenny Evans, whose book Don’t Let It Break You, Honey details her experience being assaulted by a high profile figure, and her subsequent fight to find out wh...
Why did the case to prosecute rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs fail? Who’s to blame for Rachel Reeve’s terrible week? Should kids be taught to read faster?
Giles Whittell is joined by a trio of Observer reporters. Cat Neilan is the Whitehall Editor, Vanessa Thorpe is the Media and Arts reporter and Stephen Armstrong, who has been covering the Diddy trial for the paper.
**Join us at the News Meeting Live:
Is Keir Starmer facing his most significant rebellion yet? Why is Chinese billionaire Justin Sun being accused of buying access to Donald Trump? And what should Health Secretary Wes Streeting focus on if he wants to fix the NHS?
Rebecca Moore is joined by host of the Westminster Inside podcast Sascha O’Sullivan, alongside The Observer’s Patricia Clarke and Jon Ungoed-Thomas, as they battle it out and pitch the top stories ...
Why are TV audiences for women’s sport falling? Was the Nato summit a victory lap for Donald Trump? And who is Zohran Mamdani, the charismatic progressive running for New York City Mayor?
Giles Whittell is joined by Katie Riley, data editor at The Observer; Jessica Hayden, The Observer’s assistant sports editor and author of The Red Roses: Behind the Scenes with the England Women’s Rugby Team; and Ivo Daalder, former US ambassad...
Has Netanyahu got the Middle East exactly where he wants it? How will Iran respond to the US strikes on its nuclear facilities? Will the the conflict in the region change British politics forever?
Rebecca Moore is joined by the journalists Rana Rahimpour and Jotam Confino, and former advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, as they battle it out for the top story of the day.
**Join us at the News Meeting Live:
...
Is Ayatollah Khamenei becoming increasingly isolated? Who’s got Donald Trump’s ear in the decision to strike Iran? How can we find out what’s happening on the ground in Gaza?
Jess Winch is joined by the Observer’s Head of Audio Jasper Corbett, journalist Rana Rahimpour and the author of Prisoners of Geography, Tim Marshall, as they battle it out for the top story of the day.
**Join us at the News Meeting Live:
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