Media Storm

This week, the roles are reversed as your Media Storm hosts become the interviewees!

Helena Wadia & Mathilda Mallinson sit down in conversation with journalist Masuma Ahuja on Little Revolutions, a podcast by Freeda.

Little Revolutions is a series of conversations about the double standards, societal problems, and systemic injustices that feel bigger than any one of us. Every week, guests share relatable little revolutions they’re making in their own lives and the ways in which we can all be changemakers.

Helena & Mathilda discuss setting up Media Storm, what they would say to their younger selves, and give you juicy stories from working inside the mainstream media.

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We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast

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Access the episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4vphsyps

Warning: This episode contains mentions of suicide

Justyna Wydrzyñska is appealing a criminal conviction in Poland for sending abortion pills to a desperate woman in an abusive relationship. She joins us in an exclusive interview about feminist solidarity, hope in hard times, and the empty promises of political campaigns.

As almost every country in the world moves to steadily liberalise abortion access and women’s reproductive rights, four male presidents have done the opposite, making radical antidemocratic maneuvers to clamp down on women’s bodily autonomy.

Among them, the USA, where the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and deprived a generation of women of a constitutional right they had always known.

And Poland, where the Law and Justice Party has infiltrated the courts and virtually eradicated legal access to abortion. But October’s historic election overturned their majority, as women and young people flocked to the polls in record numbers. Abortion was centre stage in the campaigns and one woman’s case was at the heart of it all.

As well as Justyna, we hear from Amnesty International UK’s lead for Women’s Human Rights, Chiara Capraro, and US abortion rights activist Renee Bracey Sherman, about worldwide trends and mainstream media misinformation.

This episode is brought to you as part of Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign – get involved: https://tinyurl.com/3usebvje

The episode was created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire).

Subscribe to our Patreon for access to FOI data, extended video interviews and more: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast

Sources

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Support Media Storm’s work from as little as £3 a month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast 

The war in Gaza involves everyone, as the global community is drawn onto a battlefield of competing sympathies - sympathies that should coexist.

Propagandists, Islamophobes and antisemites alike are pushing black-and-white narratives that feed violence and hate. The independent press should be a bulwark against this.

But we do not think the press are doing enough. Western news media is failing to educate the public about geopolitical biases, and to expose us to worldviews that challenge our own.

We cannot hand our listeners the truth, but we can better equip you to identify it.

In this investigation, Media Storm uncovers firsthand stories of militancy in Northern Ireland and Apartheid South Africa which shine new light on terror and resistance: Tony Doherty, the son of a Bloody Sunday victim who sought justice through the IRA, and Black South African freedom fighters who waged war against the Apartheid. Testimonies of "terrorism" are largely absent from mainstream news. We believe that seeking out human perspectives to explain resistance and radicalism is not only a journalist’s right, but a journalist’s imperative.

We have very special guests joining for our season 3 finale. They challenge listeners to look beyond the Western worldview and teach us how to spot propaganda in the news: former UN Security Council President, Kishore Mahbubani; Lebanese war reporter and journalism professor, Zahera Harb; and Afghan author and political refugee, Gulwali Passarlay.

The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). Tayyibah Apabhai assisted as researcher.

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Speakers

More on Media Storm

Media Storm first launched from the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey listeners! We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast

This is part three of Media Storm's LIVE SHOW at London Podcast Festival!

Join us as we look back at the biggest media storm's from 2023 - this week, we talk about the ongoing sexism row in Spanish football, after Luis Rubiales 'kissed' football player Jenni Hermoso without her consent following Spain's World Cup win.

With special guests Times journalist Manveen Rana and comedian Athena Kugblenu.

Follow:

•Manveen Rana @ManveenRana

•Athena Kugblenu @athenakugblenu

•Helena Wadia @helenawadia

•Mathilda Mallinson @mathildamall

•Samfire @soundofsamfire

Get in touch:

•Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/mediastormpod

•or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod

•or Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mediastormpod

•like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MediaStormPod

•send us an email [email protected]

•check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com

Media Storm was launched by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey listeners! We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast

This is part two of Media Storm's LIVE SHOW at London Podcast Festival! 

Join us as we look back at the biggest media storm's from 2023, including the Titan submersible implosion - and next week, the ongoing sexism row in Spanish football. 

With special guests Times journalist Manveen Rana and comedian Athena Kugblenu. 

Follow:

•Manveen Rana @ManveenRana

•Athena Kugblenu @athenakugblenu

•Helena Wadia @helenawadia

•Mathilda Mallinson @mathildamall

•Samfire @soundofsamfire

Get in touch:

•Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/mediastormpod

•or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod

•or Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mediastormpod

•like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MediaStormPod

•send us an email [email protected]

•check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com

Media Storm was launched by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey listeners! We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast

This is part one of Media Storm's LIVE SHOW at London Podcast Festival!

Join us as we look back at the biggest media storm's from 2023, including the Huw Edwards scandal and - in the next two weeks - the Titan submersible implosion and the ongoing sexism row in Spanish football.

With special guests Times journalist Manveen Rana and comedian Athena Kugblenu.

Follow:

Get in touch:

Media Storm was launched by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey listeners! We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast

A few weeks ago we released an episode about temporary accommodation, social housing, and how the media reports on it - if you haven't heard it, scroll back and search for "Housing crisis: A lifetime in 'temporary' accommodation".

In this bonus episode, you'll hear us discussing an article that we couldn't quite fit into the main episode - from the Daily Mail, the headline reads "Fury as migrants allowed out of RAF asylum accommodation 'riddled with scurvy and scabies' to stay with relatives - with some even being 'moved back to taxpayer funded hotels'"

Our guest, Kwajo Tweneboa, is a social issues campaigner leading the charge for meaningful housing reform. But another social issue he cares deeply about is refugee rights. And in this bonus episode, we’re going to see how the two meet - how those in insecure housing and refugees are often pitted against each other, to distract us from the real problem.

Follow:

Get in touch:

Media Storm was launched by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Content warning: This episode discusses rape, sexual assault, and gender-based violence. If you need support, you can call Rape Crisis for free on 0808 500 2222

This week - though an 'open secret' in the media industry - it was revealed by the Times, the Sunday Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches that Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse. 

Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, others have made a range of accusations about Brand’s controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour. More women have come forward since the article and documentary aired. Brand denied the allegations and said his relationships have all been consensual, and said there is a mainstream media conspiracy theory to take him down.

In this bonus episode, we address Brand's announcement of a 'mainstream media conspiracy', plus other reactionary statements including 'Why didn't she say anything before?', 'What about false accusations?', and - often the biggest statement when rich and famous men are accused of sexual assault - 'Innocent until proven guilty!'.

To address the crucial context of systemic failures that’s often missing from the conversation on rape convictions, we then revisit our Series 1 investigation: "Rape Justice: What happens to the 98%?"

The charge rate of rape is less than 2%. The investigation features rape survivors not just from the UK, but from the US and Europe too: however varied their experiences or assault, silence and injustice are themes that shape them all. They attest to the multitude of reasons why victims may not go to the police; and why even when they DO go to the police, they may come to regret it.

Sources:

• CPS Q3 and Q4 reports for 2022-2023

Speakers:

Your hosts are @helenawadia and @mathildamall.

Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.

We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast

Media Storm was launched by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2023/09/14/3-11-the-solutions-undoing-an-institutionally-racist-police-force/

Join Media Storm LIVE at Kings Place, London, Saturday 16th Sep, 7pm: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/

This is the final instalment of Media Storm’s three-part investigation into racially discriminatory police recruitment: and it’s time to talk solutions.

What needs to be done to ensure that Black applicants to UK police forces are no longer 60% more likely to be rejected than White ones? Is internal reform enough, or are more radical measures needed?

This episode investigates positive action schemes and revolutionary models of community policing. The hosts brainstorm with the UK’s best-performing police force when it comes to minority pass rates, Dyfed-Powys in Wales, as well as former and serving police officers with expertise in recruitment and lived experience of racial profiling and discrimination.

The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire).

Subscribe to Media Storm on Patreon for access to our FOI data: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast 

Guests

Contact us

Media Storm first launched from the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2023/09/14/3-10-why-are-so-many-black-people-being-rejected-from-the-police-force/

Join Media Storm LIVE at Kings Place, London, Saturday 16th Sep, 7pm: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/

Last week, Media Storm made national headlines after uncovering proof that UK police recruiters were rejecting ethnic minorities at discriminatory rates. Today we ask: why?

What stages of the recruitment process are causing this disparity? What social factors besides ethnicity are playing a role?

We put these questions to seniors in the National Police Chiefs Council, Black Police Association and Metropolitan Police, police officers who’ve been through the process, and research experts. Join us for a thorough autopsy of the assessment process, a process Black applicants are 60% more likely to fail than White ones.

The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire).

Buy the team a coffee on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast 

Guests

Sources

Contact us

Media Storm first launched from the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices