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: Why Telegram’s founder is being investigated
Pavel Durov has been placed under formal investigation by French authorities over allegations about how his platform has been used. To find out more about…
The News MeetingSensemaker: SpaceX will return stranded astronauts to Earth
Two Nasa astronauts were meant to be on the International Space Station for eight days. Now they will spend at least eight months there. To find out more about…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Could Labour's pay deals backfire?
Keir Starmer has blamed the previous Conservative government for the difficult decisions ahead whilst also touting his achievements so far. One of them was…
The News MeetingSensemaker: What is ketamine infusion therapy?
In the months before he died, actor Matthew Perry was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for depression. Was a man with known addiction issues a good…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Democrats showcase their wife guys and Starbucks boss is under fire
What should lead the news? Three journalists tell Giles Whittell what they think the top story should be and Giles has a message for the new Starbucks CEO. In…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Indonesia moves its sinking capital
What do you do when your capital city starts to sink? Indonesia decided to build a new one, but it isn't going to plan. Book your tickets for the News Meeting…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The Ukrainian accused of blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline
German prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor, so can we put all the other theories to bed? To find out more about…
The News MeetingSensemaker: New York’s war on rats
New York mayor Eric Adams has made it his mission to rid the city of rats. But after several failed attempts, can he win the war? To find out more about…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The world of MrBeast
Allegations about conditions on the set of MrBeast’s reality TV show are just the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the world’s biggest YouTuber…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Africa’s mpox vaccine shortage and Kamala Harris pitches for the presidency
What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most. In this episode they discuss why Africa is currently facing a shortage of…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Valdo Calocane and the ‘failures’ in the case of the Nottingham killer
A review has found that there was "a series of errors, omissions and misjudgements" by mental health services in the care of Valdo Calocane, who killed 3…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Why Indonesia is moving its capital and the children in care placed far from home
What should lead the news? Three journalists pitch the story they think matters most. Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com Guests: Louise Tickle, reporter at…
The News MeetingSensemaker: London (Taylor’s Version)
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has returned to Wembley Stadium for another five nights, which means she will have performed the show in London more than any other…
The News MeetingTrendy: Keeping the lights on
How much energy do we use and where does it come from? To achieve net zero carbon emissions politicians will have to make some difficult decisions about how we…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Ukraine advances into Russia
Why did Kyiv launch its surprise offensive and does it plan to hold onto the territory that it’s taken? To find out more about Tortoise: - Download the…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Rupert Murdoch and the real ‘Succession’ battle
Rupert Murdoch’s vast media empire wields political power in the US and the UK. Now he’s locked in a bitter court case with his own children to ensure it…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Why GPs are taking industrial action
GPs in England are taking industrial action for the first time in 60 years. What are their demands and are they likely to be met? Correction: In a previous…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Kamala Harris leads in key states and a call for a fossil-fuel free Olympics
Caroline Lucas, former leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, explains what she thinks should lead the news. Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How do you solve a problem like Elon Musk?
The owner of X has shared disinformation and used far-right talking points that are designed to stoke division in the UK. Can the government do anything about…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: An Olympic star takes flight and Elon Musk spreads fake news
Sports writer Simon Barnes and Countryfile presenter Tom Heap join Tortoise’s James Harding and Cat Neilan to debate what should lead the news. They discuss…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The mystery of Akon City
In 2020 the singer Akon promised to build a real-life Wakanda in his home country of Senegal, but four years later development has barely started. To find out…
The News MeetingTrendy: Keir Starmer’s mission control
How do new prime ministers change the machinery of government to help deliver their priorities? John and Rachel are joined by former civil servant Jill Rutter…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Kamala Harris’s ‘weird’ pick for vice president
The Democratic presidential candidate has chosen Tim Walz as her running mate. Who is he and how might he change the race for the White House? To find out more…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How they pulled off an ‘impossible’ prisoner exchange
Twenty four people have been released in the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West for decades, but who benefits? To find out more about…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Gaza ceasefire talks at a standstill
What impact has the killing of two senior Hamas leaders had on the negotiations? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: The Olympic boxing controversy and how to cover the UK riots
Award-winning foreign correspondent Christina Lamb on what should lead the news. She also explains why she sticks with stories after other journalists have…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Who are Britain’s far right?
The disorder and violence that has followed the attack in Southport has been condemned as “thuggery,” and an insult to a grieving community. What does it tell…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Sha’Carri Richardson and the politics of doping
The US athlete is seeking redemption at the Paris Olympics, but what does her story tell us about the politics of doping? To find out more about Tortoise…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Evan Gershkovich freed in biggest prisoner swap since Cold War
Jess Winch is joined by guests to make sense of three big stories and decide which one should lead the news. Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com Guests: Cat…
The News MeetingTrendy: What Labour and the Conservatives do next
How have the two main parties interpreted the election result? John and Rachel look at how they’ve reacted to what they think voters were telling them and how…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How does a government overspend on asylum by £6bn pounds?
The chancellor Rachel Reeves accused the previous Conservative government of 'covering up' a £22bn hole in the public finances including £6 billion on housing…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How Kamala Harris could beat Trump
Her presidential campaign has taken off, but can she maintain the momentum all the way to election day in November? To find out more about Tortoise: Download…
The News MeetingSensemaker: FlowGPT vs Bad Bunny and the rise of AI-generated music
AI-generated music is on the rise. Major artists are hearing their voices in songs they never recorded, and the law is struggling to keep up. What does this…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: An unusual start to the Paris Olympics and Just Stop Oil protesters jailed
David Taylor is joined by three guests to decide what should lead the news. In this episode they discuss the bumpy start to the Paris Olympics, signs that the…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Historic jail terms for Just Stop Oil protestors
Why five activists who disrupted traffic on the M25 have been given the longest sentences for peaceful protest in UK history. Fill out the Tortoise listener…
The News MeetingEditor's Voicemail: Why the anti-woke backlash presents an opportunity
Some businesses are capitulating to the anti-woke movement by rolling back their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In his final voicemail before a…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Kamala Harris brat memes and Keir Starmer suspends Labour rebels
Giles Whittell is joined by three guests and an audience in the Tortoise newsroom for this live episode of The News Meeting. They discuss how Kamala Harris has…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Strictly Come Dancing loses its shine
For two decades Strictly Come Dancing has been a jewel in the BBC’s crown. But now allegations of misconduct against at least two professional dancers have…
The News MeetingTrendy: From Butlins to Barcelona: how Brits holiday
Millions of us heading off on holiday across the UK and the rest of the world in the next few weeks. John and Rachel take a closer look at where we go on…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Simone Biles seeks redemption at the Paris Olympics
The US gymnast was top of the world in Rio, but she struggled in Tokyo. What will Simone Biles do in Paris? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the…
The News MeetingSensemaker: What we can learn from the CrowdStrike outage
The world is still recovering from a global IT failure that affected at least 8.5 million devices. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app -…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Joe Biden drops out
Following weeks of pressure US President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 US presidential election. With just over 100 days to go, what does this mean? To…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Joe Biden quits the presidential race
After weeks of mounting pressure, Joe Biden has quit the race for the White House. James Harding is joined by three journalists to make sense of this turning…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The malaria survivor who helped create a new vaccine
Mehreen Datoo nearly died after she caught the disease when she was a medical student. Now she is part of the team that has helped develop a world-changing…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Trump’s marathon speech and what Labour will do about climate change
Giles Whittell is joined by Greg Swenson from Republicans Overseas UK to review Donald Trump’s speech to the Republican National Convention. Greenpeace’s…
The News MeetingEditor's voicemail: The price of loyalty to Biden
As Joe Biden edges closer to stepping aside, James Harding has a cautionary tale for worried Democrats from across the Atlantic. To find out more about…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Brat summer: how Charli XCX captured the zeitgeist
Charli XCX’s new album has taken the world by storm, but its success is down to more than just the music. How did Brat breakthrough to become this summer’s…
The News MeetingTrendy: Double haters and the US election
With the Republican party convention in full swing, John and Rachel are joined by Christopher Carman to discuss how political parties in the US have changed…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Donald Trump’s mini-me
Donald Trump has chosen the ultra-loyal, 39 year old JD Vance to be his running mate. What does this tell us about Donald Trump’s bid for the White House? To…
The News MeetingSensemaker: India’s mega-wedding
What do Rihanna, Tony Blair and Andrea Bocelli have in common? They all went to the multi-event wedding hosted by India’s richest family. But why spend so…
The News MeetingSensemaker: How an attempt to assassinate Trump upended the presidential race
Donald Trump and Joe Biden have called for unity after the former president was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania, but will it last and how might the attempted…
The News MeetingThe News Meeting: Trump and Biden call for calm after assassination attempt
After the shock of the shooting, attention has turned to the gunman’s motive, why there was such a huge security breach and what this all means for the United…
The News MeetingSensemaker: What is the ‘grey belt’?
The government has promised to build one and half million homes over the next five years by overhauling planning rules and developing what it calls ‘grey belt’…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Lucy Letby, Britain’s prisons crisis and Labour’s Gaza problem
What should lead the news? Former director of public prosecutions Lord Ken Macdonald joins the Tortoise team to explain what he thinks the top story should be…
The News MeetingSensemaker: England reach Euro 2024 final
How Gareth Southgate took England’s men to not one but two finals at the European Championships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The News MeetingTrendy: Has France rejected the far-right?
Polls predicted a historic win for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France’s parliamentary election. But a new coalition on the left did better than expected…
The News MeetingSensemaker: The battle over the future of the Tory party
Following its seismic election defeat the Tory party has descended into bitter infighting over the election of its next leader. To find out more about…
The News MeetingSensemaker: Labour’s radical prisons minister
Keir Starmer’s government has inherited a prisons crisis in England and Wales. Could the boss of a high street key cutting chain fix the problem? To find out…
The News MeetingSensemaker: France’s shock election result
The far right have been defeated in parliamentary elections where they were expected to make major gains and possibly even form a government. To find out more…
The News MeetingNews Meeting: Labour’s policy blitz and gridlock after France’s election
There are political stories everywhere you look, so which one should lead the news? James Harding is joined by three guests to discuss the first few days of…