The Slow Newscast – Details, episodes & analysis
Podcast details
Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

The Slow Newscast
The Observer
Frequency: 1 episode/6d. Total Eps: 357

The Slow Newscast from The Observer takes the news slowly. We investigate, and every week we focus on stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. From wars in Ukraine and Gaza through to true crime and injustice and real life mysteries, The Slow Newscast team is devoted to narrative investigations covering some of the biggest topics of the day.
Who are the people biohacking themselves in a quest for immortality? Or the man taking on an entire nation in the high seas to protect whales? And what happened when humanity's most distant messenger fell silent? From a newsroom with a different approach to journalism these are the stories we tell.
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Apple Podcasts
🇨🇦 Canada - documentary
03/08/2025#33🇬🇧 Great Britain - documentary
03/08/2025#6🇬🇧 Great Britain - societyAndCulture
03/08/2025#26🇺🇸 USA - documentary
03/08/2025#84🇫🇷 France - documentary
03/08/2025#69🇨🇦 Canada - documentary
02/08/2025#33🇬🇧 Great Britain - documentary
02/08/2025#6🇬🇧 Great Britain - societyAndCulture
02/08/2025#25🇩🇪 Germany - documentary
02/08/2025#98🇺🇸 USA - documentary
02/08/2025#78
Spotify
🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
03/08/2025#33↗🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
02/08/2025#37↗🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
01/08/2025#45↗🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
31/07/2025#47→🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
30/07/2025#47↗🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
29/07/2025#50↗🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
26/07/2025#50→🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
25/07/2025#50↗🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
23/07/2025#49↘🇬🇧 Great Britain - society & culture
22/07/2025#47↗
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
See all- https://www.tortoisemedia.com/join-us/
573 shares
- http://tortoisemedia.com/support-us
424 shares
RSS feed quality and score
Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.
See allScore global : 74%
Publication history
Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.
Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman - episode 6
Season 1 · Episode 298
mardi 27 août 2024 • Duration 51:29
A fifth woman has come forward with allegations against the author Neil Gaiman.
To find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Clooney intervention
Season 1 · Episode 297
mardi 20 août 2024 • Duration 47:48
Following a disastrous live debate against Donald Trump, the Democrats were at panic stations. It looked like Joe Biden was going to lose the election, and he was refusing to step aside. This is how George Clooney rewrote the election script, and how the Democrats went from despair to hope.
To find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Greatest: Simone Biles
Season 1 · Episode 288
mardi 23 juillet 2024 • Duration 37:15
She is arguably the best gymnast the world has ever seen. But history shows us that she’s human too. Will Simone Biles fly at the Paris Olympics or will she fall?
– Clips of Simone Biles from Versus on Watch web series and the Call Her Daddy podcast.
To find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yesterday's Men: The Brexit hardliners' last stand
Season 1 · Episode 200
mardi 18 avril 2023 • Duration 36:16
The European Research Group was once the most consequential faction in the Conservative party, playing a central role in bringing down former prime minister Theresa May and installing Boris Johnson in Number 10. And yet, in a recent test of strength, the Brexit hardliners stumbled. This is the story of what happened to the ERG.
Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.
For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.
As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ignition: The quest for nuclear fusion
Season 1 · Episode 199
mardi 11 avril 2023 • Duration 32:45
In the early hours of the morning of the 5 December 2022, a shot – a pulse – was fired that could save the world. It was a shot that achieved what fusion scientists had been seeking for more than half a century. They call it ignition, and it could solve the an energy crisis that’s becoming existential for humanity. This is the story of those precious seconds and the decades leading up to it.
Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.
For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.
As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Safe country: A death, and a deal, in Rwanda
Season 1 · Episode 198
mardi 4 avril 2023 • Duration 38:00
John Williams Ntwali, one of the last critical journalists in Rwanda, died in suspicious circumstances just before Suella Braverman, the British home secretary, flew in to Kigali to sell the country as a “safe” place to send asylum seekers and migrants.
Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.
For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.
As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 4
Season 1 · Episode 197
jeudi 30 mars 2023 • Duration 19:20
Boris Johnson seems incapable of living within his means – but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. So just who is funding the ex PM? This is the brand of Boris Johnson.
Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.
For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.
As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 3
Season 1 · Episode 196
mercredi 29 mars 2023 • Duration 23:17
Boris Johnson seems incapable of living within his means – but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. So just who is funding the ex PM? And how does he get to all his exotic holidays?
This is the third episode of a four-part series investigating Boris' finances.
To listen to episodes early, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts where you will also get ad-free listening and exclusive access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows.
Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism. You can join Tortoise as a member for £60 a year.
As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 2
Season 1 · Episode 195
mercredi 29 mars 2023 • Duration 28:23
This is the story of a politician incapable of living within his means but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. It’s the story of how that dependence on others sullied him and them. All of which leads to one simple question: just who is funding Boris Johnson? Episode 2 is the story of the enablers.
This is the second episode of a three part series investigating Boris' finances. To listen to episodes three early, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts where you will also get ad-free listening and exclusive access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows. Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. Join our newsroom as a member, for access to all of our audio and written journalism and invitations to exclusive events. Click here to join for just £5 a month.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 1
Season 1 · Episode 194
mercredi 29 mars 2023 • Duration 27:44
This is the story of a politician incapable of living within his means but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. It’s the story of how that dependence on others sullied him and them. All of which leads to one simple question: just who is funding Boris Johnson?
This is the first episode of a four part series investigating Boris' finances. To listen to episodes two and three early, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts where you will also get ad-free listening and exclusive access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows. Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. Join our newsroom as a member, for access to all of our audio and written journalism and invitations to exclusive events. Click here to join for just £5 a month.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.