Shows / The News Meeting
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…
Episodes
The News MeetingSensemaker: Syria’s prisons
The ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad has revealed the full scale of how he used the prison system to lock up, torture and execute his opponents. What do we…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Could Nigel Farage’s Reform party be backed by mega donors?
Tech billionaire Elon Musk and property tycoon Nick Candy have been named as considering multi-million-pound contributions, which could change the face of…
The News MeetingSensemaker: France’s political tailspin
France’s government has been toppled, making Michel Bernier the shortest serving prime minister in the history of the modern French Republic. What does it mean…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How did Syrian rebels overthrow Bashar al-Assad?
For more than half a century, the Assad family ruled Syria with brutality and repression. It took less than two weeks for rebels to bring that rule to an end…
The News MeetingThe News Meeting: The end of the house of Assad
Giles Whittell is joined by three guests pitching an angle on the toppling of the Syrian regime - the only story leading the news. Guests: Charlene White…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The assisted dying bill has passed its first House of Commons hurdle, what happens next?
MPs voted in favour of proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. The bill has many more stages to pass before it becomes law. So what happens…
The News MeetingThe News Meeting: France’s political turmoil and will Musk fund Farage
Jess Winch is joined by three guests who bring a story they think should lead the news. They debate reports that Elon Musk may donate millions to Nigel…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Are targets for the rollout of electric vehicles too high?
The carmaker behind Fiat, Jeep, and Citroën says the closure of its Vauxhall factory in Luton is due to new zero-emission policies. But is that the full story?…
The News MeetingTrendy: The big trends that shaped 2024
In this season finale, Rachel and John look at some of the major trends shaping how we live today and those that are going to matter in the future. To find out…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Syrian rebels take back Aleppo
In just 24 hours President Assad’s forces just “melted away” in Syria’s second biggest city. How did the rebels seize control and what might Assad do in…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Banana Art
A banana taped to the wall with duct tape sold at a Christie’s auction for $6.2 million to a cryptobillionaire. At the same auction, a Henri Matisse remained…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Russia’s new experimental ballistic missile
Vladimir Putin has threatened to deploy more Oreshnik missiles against Ukraine. He boasted that they’re equipped with multiple warheads and have destructive…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Rebels advance in Syria and Joe Biden pardons his son
Giles Whittell is joined by three journalists, each competing for the top spot in today's news bulletin. They discuss Joe Biden issuing a ‘full and…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Why has Kate Nash started an OnlyFans?
Singer-songwriter Kate Nash has hit the headlines for starting an OnlyFans account to pay for her tour. She says that selling pictures of her butt online is…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Kate Nash joins OnlyFans and the nuclear test veterans
Rebecca Moore and guests debate the top stories of the day and decide what should lead the news. They discuss the veterans demanding access to their missing…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Who do the Lords work for?
The House of Lords rarely gets much scrutiny, either by the media or the public. A team of Tortoise journalists has put a spotlight on the UK’s second chamber…
The News MeetingTrendy: How do ethnic minorities in Britain vote?
Rachel and John are joined by James Kanagasooriam to discuss the trends that explain the attitudes, values and voting patterns of Britain’s ethnic minorities…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The crisis in women’s healthcare
Gynaecology waiting lists are at a record high in England and Wales, with over three-quarters of a million people waiting to be treated. How did it get this…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Can an AI chatbot cure loneliness?
30 million people have signed up to use Replika, “the AI companion who cares”. The chatbot can text you, flirt with you, and promises to love you…
The News MeetingSensemaker: What are Israel’s plans for northern Gaza?
For nearly two months, the Israeli army has encircled cities in the north of the Gaza Strip. Experts warn Israeli settlements could be established there within…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Band Aid backlash and Project 2025 in the White House
Basia Cummings and guests debate the top stories of the day and decide what should lead the news. They discuss Donald Trump’s latest controversial cabinet…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Why are there protests over Māori rights in New Zealand?
A proposed new bill has prompted one of New Zealand’s biggest protests of all time. Why is it so controversial? And what does it seek to change? Writer and…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Don’t forget Afghanistan and why farmers are protesting
Giles Whittell and guests debate what should lead the news. They discuss the farmers’ protest over inheritance tax, why newsrooms are ignoring Afghanistan at…
The News MeetingSensemaker: No men, no sex: A feminist backlash to Donald Trump’s election
In the wake of the US election result, why are some American women joining a radical feminist movement that started in South Korea? To find out more about…
The News MeetingTrendy: The doctor will see you now
Are we getting healthier? John Curtice and Rachel Wolf discuss the long term trends impacting the nation’s health with Neil Ferguson. Guests: Neil Ferguson…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Is the UK’s network 5G a myth?
The UK was one of the first countries to adopt 5G but now it has one of the worst networks in the world. Why is it so difficult to get a decent phone signal in…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Does severe flooding in Spain signal a warning for Europe?
While national debate raged in Spain over who should be held accountable for the deadliest floods in decades, heavy rainfall flooded parts of Southern Italy…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Will an anti-vaxxer take over America’s department of health?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr has a long record of criticising vaccines and spreading medical misinformation. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen him to be the…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Biden authorises strikes into Russia and could Elon Musk make a good diplomat?
Basia Cummings and guests debate what should lead the news. They discuss President Biden’s decision to let Ukraine use long range missile against Russia…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The world’s loneliest penguin
An emperor penguin has turned up on a surfers beach in southwestern Australia, more than 2000 miles away from its natural habitat in the Antarctic. How did it…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Gary Lineker’s shock exit from Match of the Day and the endgame in Ukraine
Basia Cummings and the hosts of Electoral Dysfunction debate what should lead the news. They discuss the need for a public inquiry into Mohamed Al Fayed, why…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby is the first Archbishop of Canterbury to resign. He stood down following a report into a decades long abuse scandal. Why did it take the CofE more…
The News MeetingTrendy: Who’s watching the news?
John and Rachel are joined by Nic Newman from the Reuters Institute to discuss how the way we engage with news has changed and what this means for the future…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The case for funding climate action before disaster strikes
At the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, countries are exploring the best ways to fund climate action. What lessons can they take from a new aid strategy that helped…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Musk buys power
Thanks to his alliance with Donald Trump, Elon Musk has achieved an unprecedented combination of political power and immense wealth. What form will this new…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Why will HS2 spend £100 million on a bat tunnel?
The high-speed rail project is now tens of millions of pounds in the red and an expensive bat tunnel is the latest major cost. With its future in doubt, how…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Donald Trump begins his transition to power and jeopardy in Ukraine
Jess Winch and guests debate what should lead the news. They discuss the president-elect failing to submit a mandatory ethics plan, Ukrainian attempts to…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How are Sudan’s neighbours coping with the country’s refugees?
The conflict in Sudan is intensifying and the fighting has caused the biggest displacement crisis in the world. What is being done to help those fleeing to…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Why Kamala Harris’s bet on abortion rights didn’t pay off and mass deportations
Giles Whittell and guests debate what should lead the news following the US election. They discuss Donald Trump’s plans for day one of his next presidency…
The News MeetingSensemaker: What lies ahead for Trump 2.0?
Donald Trump returns as President of the United States on 20th January 2025. What happens next? We consider the implications for America and the world – from…
The News MeetingTrendy: It was the economy, stupid
As the world prepares for a second Donald Trump presidency, John Curtice and Ben Ansell look at the trends behind his victory and what the results mean for the…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How did Donald Trump pull it off?
Donald Trump has been elected US president for a second time, in what some have seen as the greatest comeback in political history. How did he do it? Writer…
The News MeetingThe News Meeting: Did the media help Donald Trump win an historic election?
Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States. James Harding and guests discuss why Americans turned out for him and the role of the media under…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The US election: what’s happened so far?
The results of the US elections have been coming in all night. What do they tell us about who could be the next president? To find out more about Tortoise…
The News MeetingSensemaker: TikTok and the rise of ‘Algospeak’
The language of the internet has taken on a life of its own with the rise of apps like Tik Tok. How far has the app affected the way we speak in real life?…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Trump’s plan to challenge a Kamala Harris win and why both candidates need Pennsylvania
Giles Whittell and guests debate what should lead the news ahead of the US election. They discuss Republicans' plans to challenge a Harris win, the…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Why is big money backing Donald Trump?
The 2024 presidential election is set to become the most expensive in history. Who are the billionaires donating to Donald Trump and what do they want in…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Will the Budget fix the housing crisis and what is Jeff Bezos's influence on the Washington Post?
Giles Whittell and guests debate what should lead the news. They discuss whether Rachel Reeves pulled off Labour’s first Budget in 14 years, government pledges…
The News MeetingSensemaker: A generational Budget
The dust on Rachel Reeves’s plans for the British economy is beginning to settle. Does her Budget leave young people better or worse off? Writer: Barney…
The News MeetingTrendy: Growth? What growth?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Labour Party have unveiled their first budget in 14 years. John and Rachel are joined by Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss the…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The battle of the sexes in the US election
More than any other time in history, American men and women have found themselves supporting opposing presidential candidates. But what is driving the battle…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Why doesn’t prison work for women?
The UK’s new justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has pledged to radically reduce the number of women going to prison in England and Wales. Writer: Phoebe Davis…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Rachel Reeves changes the rules
Britain’s chancellor has announced a big change to the way the country will measure debt. She hopes this will enable more spending for things like hospitals…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Georgia’s pro-Russia party wins and how to handle Trump’s tweets
Jess Winch and guests debate what should lead the news. They discuss the ruling Georgian Dream party increasing its share of the vote, Rachel Reeves changing…
The News MeetingSensemaker: North Korean troops join Russia’s fight in Ukraine
Kim Jong Un has sent thousands of military personnel to Russia as part of a deal with Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called it a…
The News MeetingThe News Meeting: North Korean troops in Ukraine and Gisele Pelicot becomes a feminist icon
Giles Whittell and guests debate what should lead the news. They discuss Trump’s claims that the Labour party are interfering with the US election, Gisele…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The press frenzy over Liam Payne’s death
The world was shocked last week by the news of pop star Liam Payne's death. What does the lurid media coverage that followed tell us about the press’s…
The News MeetingTrendy: On the fence
With only two weeks to go until the US election, Rachel and John are joined by Professor Chris Carmen to discuss the polls, the big campaign moments and what…
The News MeetingSensemaker: AI goes nuclear
Big tech is hunting away for new sources of power to supply the boom in generative artificial intelligence. Recently, both Google and Microsoft revealed plans…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Just Stop Oil protest laws
Two Just Stop Oil protestors were arrested after throwing a can of Heinz tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. What do their lengthy prison sentences tell us…