The Bunker – Your daily news Deep Dive

Kate Middleton conspiracy theories have run rampant since that doctored photo emerged. But, altered photos of public figures are nothing new. Today in The Bunker, Seth Thévoz speaks to Joshua Habgood-Coote, research fellow at Leeds University, about the power of manipulated images throughout history. 

• “Image manipulation techniques go back to the earliest days of photography.” – Joshua Habgood-Coote

• “Photos are supposed to capture reality – but that has never been the case.” – Joshua Habgood-Coote

www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

Instagram | Twitter

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

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

More and more high-profile figures are falling for conspiracy theories. And here in the UK, British MPs are seemingly becoming increasingly susceptible to engaging with them. Why now? Andrew Harrison asks Tom Phillips, co-author with friend of the pod Jonn Elledge of Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories, and How Not to Fall for Them. 

Support us on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/bunkercast  

Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

Instagram | Twitter 

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

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

This week, could a backbench rebellion see Penny Mordaunt replace Rishi Sunak before the general election? As online conspiracies run rampant, how has the Royal Family fumbled the Kate Middleton situation? In international news, we look at Putin’s ‘landslide victory’ and what his win means for war with Ukraine. Finally we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict as Netenyahu comes under fire from high profile US democrats.   

Gavin Esler talks Ros Taylor through the biggest news stories to look out for this week. 

• "Changing leaders again isn’t going to change much in the eyes of the British public." – Gavin Esler  

• “It’s almost like the Conservative Party is braindead, but the rigour mortis hasn’t kicked in yet.” – Gavin Esler 

Support us on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/bunkercast  

Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Instagram | Twitter 

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

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

The history of US presidents is mixed, let’s say. Some achieved incredible things, whilst others have 91 pending criminal charges against them across multiple states. The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey pits them all against each other to find out the best and worst of all time. Professor Justin Vaughn is an associate professor of political science at Coastal Carolina University and co-authored the survey. He joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker to discuss the results.

Find the results of the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey here

• “The ability to face a crisis is important to whether a president can be considered great.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn

• “Biden comes in very well, but I expect there to be lots of fluctuation over the coming years.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn

• “Our greatest president Abraham Lincoln averaged a score of 93.9… Donald Trump scores 10.9.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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

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

The internet is getting worse. Google isn’t as helpful as it used to be, all of the best content is behind a paywall and the less said about X the better. But why is the internet getting so sh*t – and why do we simply accept it? Today in The Bunker, Jacob Jarvis speaks to tech reporter and writer of the Garbage Day substack Ryan Broderick about the sorry state of the internet in 2024. 

• “The only way to get ourselves out of this enshittification trap is to rethink what we expect from the internet.” – Ryan Broderick

• “There's an urge to create something new online, but so far Crypto, the Metaverse and AI aren’t clicking with the masses.” – Ryan Broderick

www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

Instagram | Twitter

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

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

Problems with leaseholds have ruined lives across the UK. Labour has vowed to end the system, but how? And are its plans realistic? Labour MP Barry Gardiner has been campaigning against leasehold for decades and recently fronted a documentary exploring its major issues. He joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker to discuss what his party plans to do about it? 

Barry Gardiner’s documentary

• “We have instances where people are paying £33k in ground rent a year… on top of their mortgage, it’s absolutely wicked!” – Barry Gardiner

• “I know people who have committed suicide… you see the way the stress gets to people.” – Barry Gardiner

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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

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

The world of online conspiracy theorists is daunting and bewildering. The BBC’s Marianna Spring knows that better than most. In today’s Bunker, Ros Taylor sits down with the disinformation and social media correspondent to discuss her new book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland. 

• “The internet normalises aggression and abuse and that is reflected in the real world too.”  – Marianna Spring 

• “In the absence of religion or local communities, people turn to the internet for that sense of meaning and purpose.”  – Marianna Spring 

Buy Marianna Spring’s book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland   through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. 

Support us on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/bunkercast  

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Instagram | Twitter 

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

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

Hunt’s budget hasn’t shifted the dial for the Tories like they wanted – what will they try next? Plus, we’ve got curious tales of Boris Johnson’s trip to Venezuela and of a doctored Royal family photo… Plus, the latest from Biden vs. Trump and an update on the situation in Gaza. Alex Andreou talks Jacob Jarvis through the news to look out for this week.  

• “We know the Tories are headed for defeat, and because Sunak is too afraid to call an election, we are forced to watch them mess up again and again.” – Alex Andreou   

• “The moment Biden said ‘we’re in campaign mode’, Trump was on the back-foot.” – Alex Andreou “ 

• It’s not clear if Trump is asking for money to fund his campaign, or his legal bills.” – Alex Andreou  

• “The negotiations about a ceasefire seem to be stalling.” – Alex Andreou 

Support us on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/bunkercast  

Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

Instagram | Twitter 

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

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

Warning: major spoilers from the beginning. In a special weekend bonus, we look at the political resonances of Denis Villeneuve’s $200m-grossing space-and-sand opera Dune. What does Frank Herbert’s saga of desert rebellion, imperialism and mystic feminist conspiracy tell us about our world? Can jihadis be heroes? Why do fascists love Dune? Is Muad’Dib a hero or a monster? And is it science fiction’s job to explain our reality to us? 

Novelist and Professor of Nineteenth Century Literature Adam Roberts joins fellow Dune-head Andrew Harrison to spice up your life. This edition should only be played AFTER you’ve seen Dune Part Two. 

www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Presented by Andrew Harrison. Original music and audio production by Simon Williams. Art by James Parrett. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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

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

The relationship between the United States and Israel is hugely significant – but it’s under serious strain. Is President Joe Biden going to be pushed to rethink some long-held positions regarding this connection? Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University and author of The Hell of Good Intentions: America's Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy, tells Gavin Esler how Biden might end up revising his stance. 

• “The U.S. is absolutely vital to Israel. They have provided billions of dollars in aid, as well as diplomatic protection.” – Professor Stephen Walt 

• “What makes it a ‘special relationship’ is that the U.S. provides all of this support pretty much unconditionally, no matter what Israel does... but this is a strategic liability for the U.S. now.” – Professor Stephen Walt 

• “What Israel is currently doing in Gaza is completely inconsistent with American values... this war makes Biden look either clueless or heartless.” – Professor Stephen Walt 

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Written and Presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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

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