Bonus Episode: The Genesis (Final Episode of 2025)

The people’s podcast, The Thinking Behind It All, drops a special bonus episode, The Genesis, our final release of 2025.

This deeply personal episode explores the foundations and philosophy of the podcast, introducing critical literacy theory and our commitment to socially driven critical media literacy.

Host Melusi Ncala breaks down one of the year’s biggest stories: the narrative around USAID funding being pulled from South Africa following U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election.

Ncala is joined by Dr. Ana Ferreira of the Wits School of Education’s Languages, Literatures, and Literacies division to critically analyse a Reuters news text by Jennifer Rigby, Nellie Peyton, and Emma Farge.

The episode also features responses from students at City, St George’s, University of London, reflecting on the article. Along the way, Ncala shares insights into the origins of his podcasting and storytelling journey.

Reflective, intimate and engaging … this is an episode to end the year with.

🎧 Featuring audio from BBC, ABC News, CBS News, SABC News, Sky News, and Newzroom Africa.