Headlines about wars in Ukraine and Gaza have flooded front pages - yet, the "world's biggest humanitarian crisis" is battling for media attention. Why?  In Sudan, a terrible war is raging. What started as a conflict between the Sudan Armed forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has exploded into chaos and bloodshed, with countless militias, ethnic massacres, and foreign proxy self-interest. Over 25 million people face acute hunger. Nearly 11 million have been displaced. And the death count is suspected to be as high as five times as high as in Gaza. But if you were to judge by how much international attention Sudan gets - either from the media, politicians, or humanitarian donors - you wouldn’t realise this is happening before the world's eyes.  Joining Media Storm this week is Sudanese activist and the man behind the social media platform Sudan Updates, Ameen Mekki. We are also joined by Sudanese refugee, public speaker, and charity worker Gaida Dirar, to discuss how British colonial history played a part in Sudan’s present-day difficulties - and why the war is as urgent to Western audiences as any other. Plus, your week's Media Storms: panic about a potential pub garden smoking ban, an extracted anecdote from Jess Phillips that apparently provided proof of a 'two-tier NHS', misleading claims about crime at Notting Hill Carnival, and the voices missing in Israel-Palestine coverage: though they may not be the voices you think.  Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Episode research: Camilla Tiana Support Media Storm on Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Paralympic Games are underway - and there's plenty to celebrate! More coverage than ever before, a public-participating opening ceremony, and over 160 nations televising the event.  But is it enough? There were 10 million tickets available for the Olympics - and only 3 million for the Paralympics. What does it mean that the Paralympics will be broadcast on Channel 4, rather than our state broadcaster BBC (where extensive Olympics coverage takes place). Is this a question of reduced public interest and 'relatability'? Or an underlying bias against disability? Joining us to discuss perplexing media coverage and perpetuating stereotypes of the Paralympics are two para athletes. Wheelchair tennis silver-medallist-turned-fashion expert Samanta Bullock is in the studio, and two-time Paralympian blind footballer Keryn Seal tunes in from Paris.  Plus, your week's Media Storms: the shocking truth behind attention-grabbing headlines about crime at Notting Hill Carnival, journalists band together to denounce Israel's assault on a free press, and why numbers CAN lie when it come to how much immigrants really cost the country...  Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Episode research: Camilla Tiana Support Media Storm on Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This investigation contains discusses of rape, sexual assault, and suicide which some listeners might find distressing. If you need someone to talk to, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or Rape Crisis on 0808 500 2222. Warning: strong language Media Storm’s first series featured an investigation into ‘Rape justice: ‘What happens to the 98%?', when we discovered the fates of the many reported rapes that never make it to trial. Today, we speak to “the lucky ones” - the 2% of victims who get the chance to go to court. Or do they? Many are pushed to leave the courtroom and miss the bulk of their trial… and then they must pay tens of thousands of pounds to find out what happened inside. Are government contractors getting rich off of victims’ suffering? Or is someone trying to hide something? This is an investigation into the transparency of the UK’s justice system, and the treatment of women and victims during rape and sexual assault trials. Links: Discover the campaign: ‘Open Justice For All’ Listen to our original investigation Support Media Storm investigations on Patreon Speakers: Juliana Terlizzi @juterlizzi Charlotte @charlottschreu Open Justice For All @openjustice4all @openjusticeforall Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson @mathildamall Helena Wadia @helenawadia Music: Samfire @soundofsamfire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Faiza Shaheen announced she has resigned from the Labour Party, after a shock email revealed she had been deselected as a candidate in this year's General Election. The Labour Party candidate selection committee called into question tweets that Faiza had 'liked', some from 10 years ago. But behind the apparent distractions of old tweets is something far more sinister: what Faiza has described as “a systematic campaign of racism, Islamophobia, and bullying". Are people of colour held to a higher standard in public and in the media? We discuss this, how the routine dehumanisation of brown skinned people has lead to desensitisation when it comes to coverage of Palestine, and why we need to push beyond 'representation'. Plus, your round up of the headlines through a Media Storm lens - Government policies putting a dampener on Pride Month, a hidden story about Israeli interference in the ICC that didn't make it to the mainstream, does the media gives Nigel Farage a free pass, and was the viral AI-generated 'All Eyes on Rafah' image 'slacktivism'? Joining Helena this week is GUEST HOST Coco Khan (Pod Save the UK) We are joined in the studio by Sharan Dhaliwal, founder of feminist South Asian magazine Burnt Roti, and Shaista Aziz, ex-Labour councillor, journalist, and director of The Three Hijabis. Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Support Media Storm on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As South Africans head to the polls, Media Storm is seizing the opportunity to break out of the Western worldview. Last season, former UN Security Council President Kishore Mahbubani criticised the "arrogance" of the UK media and its failure to expose people in 'the West' to how 88% of the world's population see things differently to them. South Africa gives us some clues as to why. Their coverage of the raging conflict in Gaza paints a far more black-and-white narrative of events, condemning Israeli "apartheid" and "genocide" against Palestinians. Meanwhile, coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine muddies the stark solidarity expressed in Western media. We speak to South African Political Analyst Mpumelelo Mkhabela, comedian Tats Nkonzo, and South African former politician Andrew Feinstein about Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine. And we hear from South Africans spanning classes, genders, races, ages to hear how their voting today – collectively, their testimonies tell us as much about our own democracies as theirs. Hosts: Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) and Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) Music: @soundofsamfire Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Content warning: mentions of violence against women, rape, and assault. This episode was recorded just before the general election was announced! Register to vote here. This week, it was reported the number of Met police officers being dismissed reached a new peak. A police officer has been handed a guilty sentence for assault, after arresting and handcuffing a Black woman over an apparent bus fare evasion. And last year the Casey Review found the Met Police was institutionally sexist, racist and homophobic. Have we made any progress? And is reform possible? If one bad apple spoils the barrel... Joining Helena this week is GUEST HOST Coco Khan (Pod Save the UK) This week, we are joined by Patsy Stevenson - the campaigner, equal rights activist, and writer who was awarded damages by the Met Police after being forcibly arrested in 2021 at the Clapham Common vigil for Sarah Everard. We're also joined by Dr Leyla Hussein - psychotherapist and activist, specialising in supporting survivors of sexual abuse. She's the founder of the Dahlia Project, the first counselling service specifically for survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM), and the co-founder of Safe Spaces for Black Women. Plus, your round-up of the headlines through a Media Storm lens - we discuss the Government's new sex education proposals (have your say here), a failed crackdown on protesting, and a hidden climate headline you might have missed. Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Researcher: Sophie Clark Support Media Storm on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The climate crisis is wreaking havoc in headlines this week: heatwaves in southeast Asia, flooding in Kenya and Brazil, and exotic spiders smuggling their way into the UK - all this marks a record leap in atmospheric CO2. One climate-related story has haunted UK news cycles for almost five years: The London mayor’s controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Yet it's not reported as a climate story at all - so much as a political one. This week, we're joined by Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, mother of the Ella, the only person in the world with pollution listed as her legal cause of death. She tells us air pollution is a human story, not a political one. We're also joined by Akshat Rathi, award winning climate reporter at Bloomberg Green, host of the podcast 'Zero', and author of Climate Capitalism, to discuss solutions-focussed climate reporting. Plus, your round up of the headlines through a Media Storm lens - we discuss Rwanda, Voter ID, the power of boycotts at Eurovision and The Great Escape festival, and why no journalist should doorstop national treasure Rylan's mum. Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Support Media Storm on Patreon patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s a morbid theme to Media Storm’s first new weekly format - but that’s ok because it’s Dying Matters Awareness Week so we all need to get talking about death! Our key voices today are people with terminal illnesses - as we discuss the late Kris Hallenga’s legacy beyond 'CoppaFeel!' and the debates on assisted dying laws unfolding across the British Isles. And - we reveal the inside scoop on a controversial BBC documentary dropping next week on ‘assisted suicide’. Plus, your round up of the headlines through a Media Storm lens - if you read right-leaning papers you’ll have gotten an eyeful, but left-leaning readers are left in the dark… We pick apart a divisive story about a Holocaust Memorial Day protest in Poland. It’s a story that tells us more about the media than what’s actually happening on the ground. This episode features lived experience speakers Jenny Carruthers, Kit, Gareth, Anne and Warwick. Plus Lord Charlie Falconer, comedian and host of Conversations in Company Isabelle Farah, and Sarah Wootton from Dignity in Dying. Access their open letter here. Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Read our Q&A in PodBible! Support Media Storm on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're back for Series 4! It’s been a while, so here's your refresher episode which tells you everything you need to know about Media Storm - plus, we tell you all about our new format! Media Storm is dedicated to platforming the most important people in the story– the ones living it. Despite them, ironically, being the most absent from mainstream news. Every Thursday, we’ll be using our Media Storm lens to bring you the biggest news story of the week and dissect the headlines as usual - except on this current affairs show, you’ll hear from the people actually living the news stories…  Make sure you're subscribed to be the first in the know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Media Storm returns next week! Get a taste for what is to come from your essential guide to today’s chaotic clickbait climate. It's your weekly current affairs round-up - but not as you know it. Featuring cross-platform comparisons, shrewd bullsh*t-radars, and finding the facts behind the fear-mongering, Media Storm is guaranteed to leave you with plenty to talk about. Out weekly, every Thursday from May 2nd. Follow us @mediastormpod @helenawadia @mathildamall Become a supporter: patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Follow us! Freeda @freeda_en Masuma Ahuja @masumaahuja Mathilda Mallinson @mathildamall Helena Wadia @helenawadia Media Storm @mediastormpod We've launched a Patreon. If you want to support us for a small monthly fee, head to patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast 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

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 Impact of Poland’s 2020 abortion restriction: https://tinyurl.com/2whhc5tf Universal Declaration of Human Rights: https://tinyurl.com/yeykpstx 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

‘UK PRISONS OVERCROWDED AFTER RACIST RIOTS!’ ‘A CHILD IS STRIP-SEARCHED EVERY 14 HOURS’ ‘SCORES OF CRIMINALS COULD BE FREED IN DAYS’ Headlines this week spotlight the UK’s criminal justice system, as prison overcrowding triggers emergency measures. Amazingly, serious talks about prison reform have entered the mainstream media - but a key voice is missing from the coverage: prisoners themselves. This week, people with inside knowledge of the system join Helena and Mathilda for the week’s top stories. Lady Unchained and David Navarro talk prison overcrowding, child strip-searching, and the new prisons minister, James Timpson. We also ask: was this really all caused by Keir Starmer’s ‘clampdown’ on far-right rioters? Plus, other Media Storms of the week: Superyacht shipwreck, migrant ‘superheroes’, and Steven van de Velde's post-Olympics interviews. Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Episode research: Camilla Tiana Support Media Storm on Patreon! 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com •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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com •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: 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com 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 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: Kwajo Tweneboa @Kwajotweneboa 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com 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

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: Alison Turkos @alisonturkos Pieke Roelofs @pieke_r www.photoandgrime.com Verity Nevitt @veritynevitt www.thegeminiproject.org Dame Vera Baird, Victim’s Commissioner @VictimsComm Sarah Crew, National Police Chiefs Council @aspsarah_crew Siobhan Blake, Crown Prosecution Service @CPSUK @crownprosecutors 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 Karen Geddes, The Thin Black Line @KarenGeddesQPM Karyn Howells, Dyfed-Powys Recruitment Lead Nia Rees, Dyfed-Powys Positive Action Officer Dr Pete Jones, psychologist @fatwhitebloke Brendan O’Brien, Bluelight founder Charles Ehikioya, Metropolitan Black Police Association @ChazzzaCr   Contact us Twitter, Insta, TikTok, Facebook: @mediastormpod Email mediastormpodcast@gmail.com   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 Brendan O’Brien, Bluelight Janette McCormick, Uplift and National Police Chief’s Council @jem7069 Andy George, President of National Black Police Association @andygeorgeni Dr Pete Jones, psychologist @fatwhitebloke Leroy Loga, Black Police Association co-founder @LeroyLogan999 Charles Ehikioya, Metropolitan Black Police Association @ChazzzaCr Karen Geddes, The Thin Black Line @KarenGeddesQPM   Sources Subscribe to Media Storm on Patreon for access to FOI data: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast  Baroness Casey report: https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/met/about-us/baroness-casey-review/update-march-2023/baroness-casey-review-march-2023a.pdf   Contact us Twitter, Insta, TikTok, Facebook: @mediastormpod Email mediastormpodcast@gmail.com   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/2023/09/04/3-9-an-institutionally-racist-police-force-process-of-elimination-pt-1/ 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 first in a three-part Media Storm investigation into institutional racism in UK police forces. In it, we provide statistical evidence of institutional racism at a recruitment level and, with the help of lived experience, identify where it is occurring and how to fix it.   This investigation follows the conclusion of Police Uplift, a three-year initiative by the Conservative Government to recruit 20,000 new police officers. This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure police forces represent the communities they serve, an opportunity that the government and National Police Chief’s Council promised would be seized.   Yet Media Storm’s data falsifies a key assumption informing their diversity schemes, one that is also used to excuse slow progress: the idea that People of Colour are less likely to apply to be police officers than people of White British ethnicity. For Police Uplift, Media Storm reveals, Minority Ethnic groups were over-represented among police candidates, but underrepresented among those appointed.   This proves that the problem lies not with communities but with the assessment process, during which minorities are eliminated at discriminatory rates. Join Media Storm and guest experts for an in-depth dive into what is going wrong, as we ask the question: What does “institutional racism” actually mean?   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 Dr Pete Jones @fatwhitebloke Chris Donaldson, co-founding member of National Black Police Association @trojan1963 Andy George, President of NBPA @andygeorgeni   Sources Subscribe to Media Storm on Patreon for access to FOI data: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast  Police Uplift appointment data (can beaccessed quarterly): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-officer-uplift-quarterly-update-to-march-2023 Police Uplift announcement: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-campaign-to-recruit-20000-police-officers-launches-today Ethnic representation preceding Uplift: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/955182/police-workforce-mar20-hosb2020.pdf   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 Media Storm will be LIVE at London Podcast Festival, Saturday 16th September at 7pm. BOOK your tickets now: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/ Content warning: This episode features mentions of domestic abuse, self-harm, and addiction. The definition of temporary is ‘lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent’. Yet in the UK, more and more families are finding themselves in temporary accommodation which feels anything but short-lived. With reports of people living for multiple years in so-called 'temporary' housing, just last month, government statistics showed that the number of households in temporary accommodation in England had hit a 25-year high: nearly 105,000 households, including more than 131,000 children. And that's not all - we've heard from families who have lived together in one hotel room for months on end, who have stayed in places with damp, mould, a lack of heating, or worse. So how is this ever worsening crisis solved? This week, Media Storm sets out to speak to people who have lived in temporary accommodation and ask them what they think the solutions are. Plus, we hear from the chair of the London Housing Panel about bringing lived experience into policy-making, and from London's Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copely. We are joined in the studio by social issues campaigner and presenter Kwajo Tweneboa, who, after experiencing the UK housing crisis first-hand, is leading the charge for meaningful housing reform. Featured: With thanks to Aishah Siddiqa at Heard heard.org.uk, the charity working with people and the media to inspire content and communication that changes hearts and minds, for putting us in touch with Rebecca, Aga, and Jenni. @londonrentersunion @tomcopley trustforlondon.org.uk/what-we-do/housing/london-housing-panel/ @kwajotweneboa Sources: English Housing Survey data https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2015-to-2016-headline-report  Latest figures on temp housing https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statutory-homelessness-in-england-january-to-march-2023/statutory-homelessness-in-england-january-to-march-2023 Your hosts are @helenawadia and @mathildamall. Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire. 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

Cult members. Fanatics. Selfish. Evil. All words that have been used to describe climate activists in the mainstream media. Just Stop Oil have made many headlines since 2022, be it by stopping traffic or throwing powder on Stonehenge in their token orange shade. Last month, five members were sent to prison with the longest sentences ever given for peaceful protest in the UK. But what does the group actually want? If it weren't for the name, Just Stop Oil's aims would be largely absent from press reports, which focus on the public nuisance caused by the group rather than the climate change message behind it. Are the horror stories of blockaded ambulances all to be believed, or is the media misrepresenting the group? If so, why? Why do the public apparently hate them so much? And why hasn't this stopped them? We're joined by Just Stop Oil spokesperson Adrian Johnson and climate journalist Diyora Shadijanova. Plus, your round-up of the headlines through a Media Storm lens: exposés of NHS strike 'plots', the reasons for inaccuracies coming out of Gaza, an Islamophobic Daily Mail front page, and... dogs?  As a take home message, we also speak to Emma Webber, mother of Nottingham attacks victim Barnaby Webber, about victims' consent in true crime and her reaction to the riots that followed the Southport stabbings. Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Support Media Storm on Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Media Storm will be LIVE at London Podcast Festival, Saturday 16th September at 7pm. BOOK your tickets now:  https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/  If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, you may know Nazanin Boniadi from her portrayal of Bronwyn in the Rings of Power. If you follow her online, you may be aware of her determined activism.  Since 2008, Nazanin has represented Amnesty International’s campaigns for the restoration of stolen human rights. In the aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Nazanin's parents fled Iran for safety in London. Her fight may have started in her mother's womb, but it certainly didn't end there.  Since September 2022, a new revolution has been ongoing in Iran after Mahsa Amini, a 22 year-old woman, died in police custody. Her crime? Allegedly violating Iran’s strict rules requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab. Nazanin has been fighting for the voices of Iranian women & girls to be heard worldwide. In this bonus episode, we speak to Nazanin about how to report on Iran - and crises around the world - without demonising foreign cultures.   Buy the team a coffee on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast  This episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by @soundofsamfire. Follow Media Storm at @mediastormpod. 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

Book Media Storm LIVE at the London Podcast Festival, Saturday 16th Sep at 7pm: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/ Aid budgets have been hit hard by Covid and economic upheaval. But the hardest hit of all are women and girls. Just last week, UK headlines revealed the government’s slashes to humanitarian aid mean hundreds of thousands more women will face unsafe abortions and deaths from pregnancy - by their own assessment. Why are women worse affected? Because crisis is sexist. When disaster strikes, women are 17 times more likely to die than men. But they are underrepresented in decision-making about how aid is distributed, and so the solutions rarely reflect this. For World Humanitarian Day, Media Storm has partnered with the International Rescue Committee to platform the lived experience of women in disaster zones— not just as victims, but as leaders of solutions. The IRC makes a conscious effort to place women at the centre of emergency responses, and has connected us with pioneers in Yemen, Pakistan and the world’s biggest refugee camp: Kakuma, in Kenya. We also hear voices from Afghanistan, Nigeria and North American indigenous communities, who reveal how conflict and climate change disproportionately impact women and girls. We are joined in the studio by Amnesty ambassador Nazanin Boniadi (who also fights for justice in Middle Earth - see The Rings of Power), to look at how a male-dominated mainstream media and Eurocentric headlines can hide the realities facing women of the world. We look at the unique case of Iran, where women have revolted following the state murder of Jina Mahsa Amini, and the press’ crucial role in fighting for human rights for everybody. Buy the team a coffee on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast  The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). Featured Shabnam Baloch, IRC country director in Pakistan (@Shabnambalouch1) Rachel Heaton, Mazaska Talks (@MazaskaTalks) IRC (@RESCUEorg) Amnesty (@AmnestyUK, @amnesty) Nazanin Boniadi (@NazaninBoniadi) Sources Intro: https://www.undp.org/blog/women-are-hit-hardest-disasters-so-why-are-responses-too-often-gender-blind  Kakuma: https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/ken/796  UK aid cuts: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9663/ ; https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/uk-g7-country-cut-aid-covid-pandemic/  Contact us Twitter, Insta, TikTok, Facebook: @mediastormpod Email mediastormpodcast@gmail.com   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

Come to our LIVE SHOW at London Podcast Festival! Saturday 16th September at 7pm https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/ For this week's bonus episode, two podcasts have joined forces: Media Storm and Immigrantly! Immigrantly is a podcast that discusses deeply personal conversations around race, identity, and the immigrant experience, hosted by Saadia Khan. Media Storm host Helena was on Saadia's podcast a few weeks ago to discuss her life as a second generation immigrant in London. You can hear that episode here, but first, Mathilda and Helena sat down with Saadia to find out more about her, her life from Pakistan to America, and why she set up Immigrantly. 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Find out more about Immigrantly: immigrantlypod.com Follow Saadia Khan @kh_saadi Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.  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

LIVE SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Media Storm will be live at the London Podcast Festival this September, on Saturday 16th at 7pm! Book tickets now to join us as we breakdown the craziest headlines of 2023: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/ Around the world, El Niño is causing extreme weather events and soaring global temperatures to alarming levels. Meanwhile in the UK, Labour is playing internal blame-games after a by-election defeat in Boris Johnson’s old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. What do these two stories have in common? Running through the UK’s political factionalism is a debate over London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand ULEZ. This is a debate about climate policy, but climate is missing from its coverage. In this bonus episode, Mathilda and Helena discuss the week’s top headlines and the missing links between them. We’ll then revisit a studio discussion with climate podcast producer Thimali Kodikara, to examine what the mainstream media could be doing better. Buy the team a coffee on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast  This bonus episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). More on Media Storm 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Media Storm was first launched 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

Warning: strong language and mention of rape LIVE SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Media Storm will be LIVE at the London Podcast Festival this September, on Saturday 16th at 7pm! Book tickets now to join us as we breakdown the craziest headlines of 2023: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm-2/ Are trans rights a threat to women? Or is that narrative itself the real threat? Actor, author and activist Charlie Craggs joins Helena and Mathilda in the studio for this week's bonus episode, to pick apart mainstream media efforts to pitch cis women against their trans counterparts: where has it come from, who is it serving, and how is it being weaponised against women themselves? The hosts also spill the beans from their trip to Parliament, which took an unexpected turn for the transphobic. Buy the girls a coffee on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast  This bonus episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). More on Media Storm 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com   Media Storm was first launched 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 Scotland recently joined approximately 30 countries in implementing a progressive gender self-identification law. The Gender Recognition Reform Bill, aiming to streamline the process of transgender people obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate, passed by 86 votes to 39. But the celebrations were short-lived.  The British government - or, one member of that government, the Scottish Secretary of State Alister Jack, - blocked the Bill in an unprecedented move and constitutional first. Fears were cited that legislation could have an adverse impact on the Equality Act 2010, and therefore across the UK in areas like single sex spaces. Transgender people do not need a Gender Recognition Certificate to access any single-sex spaces. But across the media, Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill was linked with transgender access to single-sex spaces. So what happened? What changes did the Bill actually propose? This week, Media Storm speaks to transgender people who have applied for Gender Recognition Certificates, about what the changes mean in real life, and asks what we can learn from other countries like Iceland and Ireland that already have progressive Self-ID laws in place. We're joined in the studio by author, actress, and activist Charlie Craggs to discuss media representation of the transgender community and gender self-ID.  Speakers: Arthur Webber @BernieTranders  Asher Gibson @gibson_asher @A_B_Gbsn Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir (Owl) @uglastefania Aoife Martin @aoifemrtn Charlie Craggs @charlie_craggs With thanks to Heard heard.org.uk The voice of 'Sarah' is Theo Stinson  Sources: Scotland Ministerial Statement https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/ministerial-statement-challenge-to-the-uk-governments-section-35-order-on-the-gender-recognition-reform-scotland-bill-april-19-2023  Statement of reasons related to the use of section 35 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-reasons-related-to-the-use-of-section-35-of-the-scotland-act-1998 Gender Recognition Reform Bill factsheet https://www.gov.scot/publications/gender-recognition-reform-scotland-bill-more-information/ Scotland's trans self-ID bill no risk for women https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-scotland-lgbt-idUSL8N33949W Mermaids’ research into newspaper coverage on trans issues https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/news/exclusive-mermaids-research-into-newspaper-coverage-on-trans-issues/ Your hosts are @helenawadia and @mathildamall. Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire. 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

This week, Media Storm went to Parliament!  Helena & Mathilda were in the halls of Westminster to speak to MPs and Parliamentarians about misogyny in the media: how the media can responsibly report on domestic abuse and gender-based violence, and why lived-experience should be at the heart of reporting.  We were invited by Hacked Off (@hackedoffcampaign), the group calling for reform of UK press self-regulation. We were joined by Impress (@impress_org), a self-regulatory body for UK publishers, The Fawcett Society (@fawcettsociety), the UK's leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women's rights, and Melanie Skyes (@msmelaniesykes), TV presenter and Editor-in-chief of the The Frank Magazine. You can also buy Melanie's new book 'Illuminated' now! In this bonus episode, you can hear from the amazing women who spoke in Parliament, and then listen back to part of Media Storm's third ever episode - where we spoke with two gender equality activists, Dr Leyla Hussain and Gina Martin, about how the mainstream media upholds misogyny and depicts victims of sexual assault - and what we should do about it.  If you are a victim of domestic violence, you can call Refuge for free on 0808 2000 247 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.  Media Storm is brought to you 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

For the full uncut discussion with Leroy Logan and Chantelle Lunt, subscribe to our Patreon: patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast The Conservatives succeeded in their manifesto pledge to recruit 20,000 new police officers by 2023. But with growing awareness of sexism, racism and violent offending within the police, is this for better or worse? Media Storm has uncovered early evidence that racist recruitment practices were at play, with Black applicants more than 40% more likely to be rejected than White applicants. This finding is consistent with data from the College of Policing that spans forces across England and Wales, as well as averages taken across the 12 individual forces that provided Media Storm access to their records. A spokeswoman from the College of Policing responded: “Policing is currently more diverse than it has ever been before. Our data which is based on all 43 forces within England and Wales shows an increase of 15.9% of Ethnic Minority and 19.3% of Black candidates passing the assessment process since May 2020, ensuring we are now better able than ever to represent the communities we are serving.   "College of Policing encourages all forces to interview candidates following success at the online assessment process. We provide guidance on the interview process to ensure all recruits are consistently and fairly assessed to the same high standards.   "Whilst we are proud that policing is the most diverse it has ever been, we recognise that there is more to be done to be a fully inclusive organisation. We are working hard alongside forces to understand all aspects of the recruitment process and how to ensure it is as fair and consistent as possible.” Media Storm is off in search of police officers who will tell us what’s going on behind the PR machine. They shine a light on internal problems ranging from grassroots cultures to leadership structures, and external problems like politics and (yes, you guessed it) the mainstream media. Mathilda and Helena are joined in the studio by Dr Leroy Logan MBE (@LeroyLogan999), founding member of the Black Police Association and one of the original officers to testify to institutional racism during the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, and Chantelle Lunt (@chantellelunt), Merseyside police officer-turned-BLM Leader. They pick apart mainstream media mistruths and policing PR and discuss how we can work together to bring about positive change. The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). Learn more: Watch “G’s” story in the BAFTA-winning short film, The Black Cop, online at The Guardian Listen to Oliver Laurence’s Protect and Serve wherever you get your podcasts Read The Thinner Blue Line, by Sophie A. Matthews Speakers: Dr Pete Jones @fatwhitebloke Gamal ‘G’ Turawa @PurpleWisdom Sophie A Matthews @sophieamatt Owen West @PolicingCrowds Adam Pugh @AdamPugh Oliver Laurence @Protect_ServeUK Media Storm was first launched 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

Support Media Storm’s ethical journalism on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast It’s World Refugee Week and the results are in: join us as we crunch the latest numbers on global displacement, to see how Europe and the UK are ranking on the hospitality charts. Spoiler: it’s not very well. This bonus episode combines new data with lived experience testimonies, as we revisit some of the stories from our first ever episode, ‘El Dorado: Why do refugees love the UK?’ The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). Sources: UK asylum seekers: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01403/ EU asylum seekers: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/migr_asyappctza/default/table?lang=en National population data: https://population.un.org/wpp/ More on Media Storm 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com   Media Storm was 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 What words come to mind when you hear the word 'strikes'? Delays, cancellations, chaos? With 'misery for ordinary people!' brandished across our headlines, it’s easy to see strikes as a general nuisance. But this week's episode of Media Storm looks beyond the everyday grumblings of train delays and travel chaos, to ask the question “what have trade unions ever done for me?” Spoiler alert - quite a lot it seems. Focussing on three key areas of union achievements - health & safety rights, wage increases, and equal pay - we speak to strikers standing on the shoulders of the first trade unionists. Hear from a Bristol midwife struggling with poor conditions who felt balloting for industrial action was the only answer, the then 23-year-old leader if the 2017 McStrike (who got the date tattooed on her arm!), and one of the warriors that won Glasgow women back almost three quarters of a billion pounds of stolen wages. In the studio, we have General-Secretary of the ASLEF union Mick Whelan - who is no stranger to tough media rounds, to dissect the myths and latest headlines about strikes, unions, and workers - and tell us whether he really did schedule a rail strike over Eurovision... Speakers: Ewan Gibbs @ewangibbs Sophie Inman @midwives_rcm @MidwivesRCM Rhea Wolfson @rheawolfson Shen Batmaz  Mick Whelan @ASLEFunion Sources: Scottish coal mining death rates eprints.gla.ac.uk/210374/7/210374.pdf  Working class journalists pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/journalists-class-backgrounds/  Royal College of Midwives rcm.org.uk  Glasgow council equal pay dispute gmbscotland.org.uk/assets/media/documents/unionline/ULS-News-October-2018.pdf  The McStrike waronwant.org/our-work/mcstrike 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Your hosts are @helenawadia and @mathildamall. Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.  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

This week has seen stories of bigotry, fuelled by bad information. Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant riots sprung up across the UK, with no factual basis in the incident that triggered them - a stabbing attack that killed three young girls in Southport last Monday, founded on a widespread fake news story that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived ‘illegally’ by boat. But some mainstream news outlets seemed to have trouble naming the problem. Riots were labelled ‘protests’. Attacking a mosque was called ‘disorder’. And the word Islamophobia? That was nowhere to be found. This week we are joined by Rizwana Hamid, award-winning journalist and the director of The Centre for Media Monitoring - which promotes accurate, fair and responsible reporting of Muslims & Islam. We discuss longstanding Islamophobia in the British media, the treatment of Zarah Sultana MP on Good Morning Britain, and smash tropes and stereotypes including accusations of grooming gangs and extremism. You’ll also hear from Sabah Ahmedi, aka @theyoungimam, who invites those who disagree with or fear his faith to step out of their comfort zone, visit a mosque, and see for themselves. Plus, your round-up of the headlines through a Media Storm lens, including tackling the disinformation surrounding the ‘gender eligibility’ of two Olympic boxers - Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting. Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Assistant Producer: Katie Grant Support Media Storm on Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s bonus episode, Helena and Mathilda have an announcement to make… they have started a Patreon! You can access it at https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast This is a chance for us to build a community space for our Media Storm listeners, where we can discuss ideas, share bonus material and get to know you all a little better! It’s also a chance for you to contribute to the work being done at Media Storm, if and how you can. In this bonus episode, we’re also trialling some new bonus material as requested by listeners. You’ll hear an uncut interview from last week’s investigation about 'Medical cannabis and the criminalisation of chronic pain'. If you haven’t yet heard it, we encourage you to go back and listen first. This raw material features our full-length interview with Dr Steve Hajioff, who will tell you all you need to know about how cannabis regulation works in the UK, and how cannabis interacts with the body to produce medicinal effects. It should also gives you some sense of just how much interview time goes into a single one of our investigations - which typically contain five or more interviews like this, all cut together in a 20-minute adventure! Get in touch and let us know what kind of bonus material you’d like to see - whether it’s raw material like this, more episodes of our ‘This Is How You Do It’ interview series featuring media change makers, offcuts from studio discussions, Q&As with listeners, or anything else at all. You can reach us at mediastormpodcast@gmail.com or on social media @mediastormpod. The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). More on Media Storm 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Media Storm is brought to you 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

Chronic pain is a silent pandemic affecting somewhere between 8 and 28 million people in the UK alone. Recent headlines (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65596283) reveal it’s contributing to 2.5 million Brits leaving work. But more alarming still, is our response. The UK prescribes more opioid pain killers per capita than any other country in the world. This is in spite of NHS guidelines warning against its use for chronic pain. It is also in spite of a US opioid crisis that has plagued the nation with half a million fatal overdoses. But opioids are not the only option. Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK for almost five years, yet fewer than five people have ever been prescribed it on the NHS for chronic pain. Private clinics, by contrast, have issued over 89,000 prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis medicines not available on the NHS. Those who cannot afford private healthcare are left with a difficult choice: legal opioids, or illegal cannabinoids. And over a million are choosing the latter. Join us as we explore the UK’s thriving black medical market, meeting patients, police officers, doctors and dealers. We also hear from those driving the UK's legal market in the face of many barriers, such as Arthur Wakeley, Managing Director of Celadon Pharmaceuticals Plc, and patients on their breakthrough clinical trial, who are fighting to spread awareness and acceptance of a plant that has been medically celebrated around the world for centuries, but painted as the world's worst drug in our own. Mathilda and Helena are joined in the studio by football pro and chronic pain warrior Stevo (@stevothemadman: also known for his unhinged comedy stunts storming social media!). They examine the mainstream media’s approach to medical cannabis, asking questions of accuracy, balance and blatant mistruths.  The episode is created by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). Guests Maria Kalinowska @m.a.kamera Arthur Wakeley @CeladonPharmaceuticals (LinkedIn) Jon Robson @mamedicauk Stevo the Madman @stevothemadman Sources Chronic pain figures: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/ https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130105021744/http:/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/AnnualReports/DH_096206 Licensed cannabis medicines UK https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/better-mh-policy/position-statements/ps05_19.pdf?sfvrsn=2db968d3_2 Unlicensed cannabis prescription figures UK https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2023-01-06.117459.h&s=cannabis UK opioid prescriptions https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00479-X/fulltext#%20 US opioid deaths https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html NHS chronic pain guidelines https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193/chapter/Recommendations#managing-chronic-primary-pain Scale and cost of UK black market https://news.sky.com/story/rise-in-people-using-cannabis-to-treat-health-conditions-but-doctors-warn-patients-are-putting-themselves-at-risk-12828381 Cannabis addiction rates https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2797098/ More on Media Storm 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Media Storm is brought to you 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

We're back with this bonus episode to give you a little bit more of our conversation from Episode 1 on the rise of far-right extremism, and what role the mainstream media has to play. Our guest, Nigel Bromage, was once a member of a far-right group - and now, he runs Exit Hate UK, the charity helping people walk away from far-right extremism. Here, he tells us how they help to alert victims of radicalisation to dangerous fake news. In this bonus episode, we discuss the collapse of trust in the mainstream media, and the explosion of alternative 'news' platforms - and in what ways this feeds the far-right.  You can hear our full investigation into the radicalisation of Andy Leak, the man who bombed a Kent migrant centre last October, and the role played by mainstream news and politics, in the full episode on this topic. Scroll down a little and click on the episode titled 'Radical Thinking: How to fight the Far-Right'.  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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire. Media Storm is brought to you 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

On the 29th April 2021, the Domestic Abuse Bill became law. Many called the Bill 'landmark', or 'transformational'. Others called it discriminatory. Why? Because migrant victims with insecure status have ‘no recourse to public funds’ - meaning they cannot access refuges, income support and other state benefits to help them escape abusers. Meanwhile, 'hostile environment' legislation is used to threaten them into silence. The result? Many migrant victims of abuse are stuck in a catch-22: stay with their abuser, or face destitution and deportation. The bill's shortcomings have been put to the government. But in 2021, an amendment was rejected that would extend protections to all migrant women. Two years on, Media Storm speaks to survivors of immigration abuse, and those still fighting for legal reform, to see the real-life results of this omission. We are joined in the studio by Janey Starling, award-winning feminist activist, writer and co-director of gender justice organisation Level Up, to discuss what the media can do better when reporting on domestic abuse. Janey spearheaded the UK’s first media guidelines on responsibly reporting domestic homicide, which are now backed by all press regulators and multiple newsrooms - find them below! Speakers:  Somiya Basar @BasarSomiya Elizabeth Jiménez-Yáñez, Latin American Women's Rights Service @elizajiya @lawrsuk Nicole Jacobs @CommissionerDA Dr Hannana Siddiqui, Southall Black Sisters @hannanasiddiqui @SBSisters Janey Starling @janeyjstarling @we_level_up @levelup_uk With thanks to Heard heard.org.uk If you are a victim of domestic violence, you can call Refuge for free on 0808 2000 247 Sources: Media guidelines for reporting domestic homicide https://www.welevelup.org/active-campaigns/media-guidelines-domestic-abuse/  Safety before Status: The Solutions: https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Safety-before-status-The-Solutions.pdf   UK police referred victims of domestic abuse to immigration authorities https://www.thedetail.tv/articles/uk-police-forces-referred-thousands-of-migrant-victims-of-crime-to-immigration-authorities Southall Black Sisters respond to Domestic Abuse Bill https://southallblacksisters.org.uk/news/the-struggle-continues-sbs-responds-to-gov-rejection-of-amendments-to-protect-migrant-women/  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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.  Media Storm is brought to you 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

Every day in the UK 58 people are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer. 21 will die. Lack of awareness, late referrals and widespread stigma mean people are being denied life-saving diagnoses and treatments. That's why 12th May shall henceforth be known as Get Lippy day! A campaign by The Eve Appeal is determined to get us talking about gynaecological cancer. So in this bonus investigation episode from Media Storm, we meet medical professionals and patients with lessons that could save lives. The episode is hosted by journalist Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall), and features Dr Aziza Sesay (@talkswithdrsesay), Lydia Brain (@lid_jar), Karen Hobbs (@karen_hobbs) and Dr Anita Mitra (@gynaegeek). It was produced by Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) and Mathilda Mallinson. The music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). Learn more: listen to Media Storm’s investigation into men and HPV. 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

Warning: mentions of sexual violence  As political polarisation stretches us to breaking point, co-hosts Mathilda and Helena head to the shadowy fringes of society to find out what pushes people to the far-right, and how we can pull them back. For its season launch, Media Storm puts these questions to reformed Neo-Nazis, far-right grooming victims and undercover counter-extremists. We investigate the recruitment tactics of violent terrorists attempting to spread hatred, and uncover proof that mainstream media and politicians may be playing into their hands. The episode features a deep-dive into a terrorist attack that no one remembers… the bombing of a Dover migrant centre late last year, that came with comments by the UK Home Secretary about an “invasion on our southern border”. Dr Rajan Basra unveils the untold story of the radicalisation of Andy Leak: what should’ve been a lesson for us all, but was lost to a 24-hour news cycle. For part two, we're joined in the studio by former neo-Nazi, turned founder of Exit Hate UK, Nigel Bromage, to pick apart what the mainstream media could do better to tackle extremism. Exit Hate UK offers non-judgemental support for individuals & families impacted by far-right extremism. For support please contact info@exithate.org Speakers:  Julia Ebner @julie_renbe Dr Rajan Basra @rajanbasra Nigel Bromage @EXITUK1 Sources: Media guidelines for reporting on extremism: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-10/ran_reporting_about_violent_extremism_pcve_challenges_journalists_17082021_en.pdf US press review: https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650220971142 Dover fake news story: https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/20/debunk-did-migrants-throw-rocks-to-block-a-road-near-english-channel-crossing Home Office data on ethnicity and grooming gangs, 2020: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/944206/Group-based_CSE_Paper.pdf  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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.  Media Storm is brought to you 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

Media Storm is back on 4 May! Helena and Mathilda take on the mainstream media and embark on new investigations that put people with lived experience back at the centre of the story. Investigations will take us into the worlds of far-right radicalisation and international freedom fighters, elevate the voices of strikers and domestic abuse survivors, and investigate the problematic worlds of medicinal cannabis and UK policing… and that’s just a taste. Make sure you’ve clicked follow so you don’t miss any releases! 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com • check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire. 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

Print is dying. Since the arrival of the internet and fast-paced, free information at the tap of the finger, the news outlets that tell us what’s what have been scrambling to find their footing. Some have been haemorrhaging money for decades, others have become richer than ever. But at what cost? In this special feature to launch our NEXT SEASON, Helena and Mathilda break down the different funding models that make up our mainstream media. They look at the ongoing warfare between ethical interests and economic ones and ask what it really means to be independent in journalism today. We also hear all their plans for the coming new season! Watch. This. Space. 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

We've been nominated for PODCAST OF THE YEAR at the Visionary Arts Awards 2023! Vote here: https://visionaryarts.org.uk/awards/vote/ From diversity and inclusion, to mental health awareness and the climate crisis, the Visionary Arts Awards showcases that people can create a positive change through arts and culture. So if you think Media Storm has made a social impact, we'd love your vote! Plus, we're working on Series 3! We'll be back with a bonus episode next week explaining what we’ve been up to during our series break, and addressing some of the problems facing the journalism industry in keeping independent, ethical reporting alive and well. 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Your hosts are @mathildamall and @helenawadia Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire. Media Storm is brought to you 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

Coming to you from the London Podcast Festival: The Guilty Feminist presents Media Storm’s debut show, live from King’s Place! Presented by journalists Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia, Media Storm is a news podcast that starts with the people who are normally asked last. From migrants to sex workers, trans to indigenous people, convicted criminals to Romani communities— Media Storm puts people with lived experience at the centre of their stories. In this bonus episode, Mathilda and Helena welcome comedians Deborah Frances-White and Isabelle Farah to discuss comedy's cultural power, comedians getting 'cancelled', and if and when jokes can go 'too far'... For more information on The Guilty Feminist and other episodes: visit https://www.guiltyfeminist.com tweet us https://www.twitter.com/guiltfempod like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/guiltyfeminist check out our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theguiltyfeminist or join our mailing list http://www.eepurl.com/bRfSPT For more information on Media Storm: 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network. The Guilty Feminist theme by Mark Hodge and produced by Nick Sheldon. Photo by Viktor Erik Emanuel/Kings Place Media Storm music by Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Thank you to our amazing Patreon supporters. To support the podcast yourself, go to https://www.patreon.com/guiltyfeminist 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

On Monday, three young girls were killed in a knife attack in Southport at a Taylor Swift themed dance class. They were 6, 7, and 9 years old. Eight other children were stabbed. A community, and a country, are in shock. Even though male violence against women and girls is commonplace, it can be hard to understand in these particular set of circumstances.  A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. That is all we know about the boy who carried out this attack.  But - alternative narratives were formed online, and they spread quickly. On Tuesday evening, rioters believed to include English Defence League (EDL) supporters, formed outside the Southport mosque, screaming abuse and smashing windows. They broke garden walls, and threw bricks, bottles, and rocks. They set a police van alight. 27 police officers were hospitalised. The 17-year-old has no known links to Islam, but those behind the violence had been fired up by social media posts which incorrectly suggested an extreme Islamist link to the stabbings. What makes somebody hijack the grief of a community, and instead use it as an excuse to spread racism, Islamophobia, and more violence? How do people get radicalised into the far-right? In this Media Storm investigation, we speak to reformed Neo-Nazis, far-right grooming victims and undercover counter-extremists. We investigate the recruitment tactics of violent terrorists attempting to spread hatred, and uncover proof that mainstream media and politicians may be playing into their hands. We're finding out what pushes people to the far-right, and crucially, how we can pull them back. Hosts: Helena Wadia @helenawadia Mathilda Mallinson @mathildamall Speakers: Julia Ebner @julie_renbe Dr Rajan Basra @rajanbasra Music: Samfire @soundofsamfire Exit Hate UK offers non-judgemental support for individuals & families impacted by far-right extremism. For support please contact info@exithate.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists trying to make an imperfect industry a little bit less so, about their noble goals and - you guessed it - the hypocrisies and insecurities that undermine them! Brought to you by The Guilty Feminist, every other Thursday. This week’s episode features the BBC World Service’s first global gender and identity correspondent, Megha Mohan (@meghamohan). Her reporting on women's rights, LGBT communities, race and ethnicity has global reach across 41 different languages, has taken her to six continents and includes exclusive interviews with Finland’s all-women coalition government, Samoa’s first woman Prime Minister and pop star Billie Eilish. We discuss global reporting of transgender rights, differences in 'identity politics' in the Global North and South and meritocracy in the media. The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). For more information on The Guilty Feminist and other episodes: visit https://www.guiltyfeminist.com tweet us https://www.twitter.com/guiltfempod like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/guiltyfeminist check out our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theguiltyfeminist or join our mailing list http://www.eepurl.com/bRfSPT   For more information on Media Storm: 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com   Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.   The Guilty Feminist theme is by Mark Hodge and produced by Nick Sheldon. Media Storm music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). 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

Warning: Discussions around suicide and assisted dying. If you need someone to talk to, call the Samaritans on 116 123.  It happens to everybody but nobody wants to talk about it: the irony is, it's often the not talking about death that makes it such a terrible thing. For our season finale, we bring you a special-length investigation into the real-life consequences of silence and stigma around dying. Doctors are restricted by it, patients isolated and otherised for it, families unable to prepare and grieve properly, and those who want choice about how they die are denied it and even criminalised. Media Storm speaks to families and individuals affected by terminal illness and grief about the choices and conversations they’d like to have more of. The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia), with research by Eliza Mellor. The music is by @soundofsamfire. With special thanks to On Road Media.  Guests:  Ellie Ball @wee_ellster Dignity in Dying @dignityindying Dr Finella Craig, Great Ormond Street Hospital @GreatOrmondSt Simon Blake @simonblake Hospice UK's Dying Matters Campaign @hospiceuk @DyingMatters Aongola's Story https://bit.ly/3uDnX4N  Resources: On Road Media's Children's Palliative Care project: https://bit.ly/3FyNdiY Jessie May Children's Hospices at Home: jessiemay.org.uk Together For Short Lives: https://bit.ly/2s8yYuu Simon Blake's blog https://bit.ly/3izLxNa Sisters & Brothers: Stories about the death of a sibling, by Julie Bentley and Simon Blake https://amzn.to/3VCFcPG Sources: Terminal illness and 'suicide' https://bit.ly/3XZpPmd ONS findings https://bit.ly/3PgtmZd Brits assisted dying in Switzerland https://bit.ly/3BgRGEE Palliative care funding https://bit.ly/3iLIDoL Palliative care access https://bit.ly/3W0Qo8w Palliative care and life expectancy https://bit.ly/3FBCZP7 British public opinions https://bit.ly/3iLIUrN YouGov poll https://bit.ly/3uuyboj 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com 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

Warning: Some strong language Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists trying to make an imperfect industry a little bit less so, about their noble goals and - you guessed it - the hypocrisies and insecurities that undermine them! Brought to you by The Guilty Feminist, every other Thursday. This week’s episode features all-around broadcast queen Leanne Alie (TW: @leannealie / IG: @leannealie_). The host and creator of Coiled - an award-winning documentary podcast about Black hair - also pulls the strings behind-the-scenes as a podcast commissioner for BBC Sounds, where she advocates to bring unheard voices into the mainstream media. She spills the beans on the Black hair industry, shares some surprising stories she’s brought to the table in her role as BBC commissioner, and explains why more Black joy is needed in our news. The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). For more information on The Guilty Feminist and other episodes: visit https://www.guiltyfeminist.com tweet us https://www.twitter.com/guiltfempod like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/guiltyfeminist check out our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theguiltyfeminist or join our mailing list http://www.eepurl.com/bRfSPT For more information on Media Storm: 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.  The Guilty Feminist theme is by Mark Hodge and produced by Nick Sheldon. Media Storm music is by Samfire (@soundofsamfire). 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

Warning: Some strong language  Welcome to The Menopause Revolution! A new era for a bodily phenomenon we were once too scared to call by name. Menopause is starting to show its face in our mainstream media, but how accurate is the coverage that has emerged? How much of it is stigma-smashing, and how much of it is scaremongering? And has all this talk resulted in any actual change? This week, Media Storm speaks to older women in the workplace, with a close inspection of the regularly-reported story that 900,000 women in the UK population have been driven out of work due to menopause. We’ll meet some of the people behind those numbers, assess the reliability of its source, and question whether anything besides the midlife mistress is to blame. Working women often speak of feeling invisible, overlooked and unconfident as they get older, despite becoming increasingly knowledgeable and experienced in their fields. So is it menopause - or good old fashioned ageism and sexism?  We are joined in the studio by Menopause Whilst Black host Karen Arthur and Effin' Hormones host Emma Goswell to talk about how the media covers menopause, rethink the representation of women in midlife, and pick apart some hare-brained headlines on hormone replacement therapy and more. The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia), with research by Eliza Meller.  Guests: Sally Leech @MenopauseClub, Henpicked @T4W_Henpicked Rachel Lankester, Magnificent Midlife @MagnifMidlife Lisa Nicholls, Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales @FTWW_Wales  Riannon Palmer @lemuhn_ Emma Goswell @emmagoswell @effinhormones Karen Arthur @thekarenarthur @menopausewhilstblack Sources: BUPA Research https://bit.ly/3u0EFuR Channel 4 survey https://bit.ly/3UXkF8d Workplace menopause policies https://bit.ly/3EE3UI2 Fastest growing workplace demographics https://bit.ly/3EI26y6 Resources: Henpicked free resources: https://henpicked.net/menopause-hub/resources/ Rachel Lankester's book https://magnificentmidlife.com/book/ Fair Treatment For The Women of Wales Menopause Campaign Map your symptoms with the Balance App Where to find a menopause clinic in your area  Get in touch: Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @mediastormpod Email us mediastormpodcast@gmail.com Media Storm is an award-winning podcast brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network. The music is by @soundofsamfire.   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

Warning: Some strong language  Following on from Media Storm's episode about polyamory, the law, and the mainstream media, Media Storm co-hosts bring you this bonus episode with Leanne Yau from the hugely popular Poly Philia blog to discuss how non-monogamy is portrayed onscreen - looking at depictions of love triangles, Chandler's polyamorous lover in Friends, and reality TV shows like The Ultimatum.  The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). For more information on The Guilty Feminist and other episodes: visit https://www.guiltyfeminist.com tweet us https://www.twitter.com/guiltfempod like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/guiltyfeminist check out our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theguiltyfeminist or join our mailing list http://www.eepurl.com/bRfSPT For more information on Media Storm: 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 mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network. The Guilty Feminist theme by Mark Hodge and produced by Nick Sheldon. Media Storm music by Samfire (@soundofsamfire) Thank you to our amazing Patreon supporters. To support the podcast yourself, go to https://www.patreon.com/guiltyfeminist 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