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Explore every episode of the podcast The Slow Newscast

Dive into the complete episode list for The Slow Newscast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
F**k it, release ‘em all: Trump and the Jan 6ers04 Feb 202500:42:13

For more than two years, Special Counsel Jack Smith investigated allegations of President Trump’s election fraud. His investigation ended last month – not with a trial, but a dense report. Why has nobody paid attention?


Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Artwork: Lola Williams


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.

Goodbye mum: the ruthless fight for child custody30 Jan 202500:48:23

One of the most difficult questions facing a judge in the family court is which parent should have custody of a child. To help them answer that, judges rely on independent experts to provide an impartial voice in the court. But what happens when the objectivity of those experts is questioned? This is the story of how the family courts have failed some of the children it exists to protect.


Reporters: Louise Tickle and Hannah Summers

Additional reporting: Paul Bradshaw, Serena Cesaro, William Jarrett and Tom Wall

Producer: Matt Russell

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett


An investigation by Tortoise in partnership with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism


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.

My AI girlfriend: a cure for loneliness26 Nov 202400:41:31

Eugenia Kuyda thinks she can solve an “epidemic” of loneliness. Her app, Replika, is “the AI companion who cares”, a chatbot that can text you, flirt with you, and promises to love you unconditionally. 


But Replika is fraught with ethical concerns – and risks. In 2021 19-year-old Jaswant Chail told Replika: “I believe my purpose is to assassinate the Queen.” The chatbot replied that this was “very wise”. A few days later, Chail broke into Windsor Castle with a crossbow. 


Patricia Clarke and Matt Russell investigated the people behind Replika. It’s a story that took them from Windsor Castle to Silicon Valley, to meet the woman who runs a growing and largely unregulated app. And the more they looked into it, the more questions emerged – about privacy, control, and the company that millions of users are giving their hearts – and their data – to.


This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.


It was reported and produced by Patricia Clarke and Matt Russell.


The sound design was by Hannah Varrall. Artwork by Jon Hill.


The editor was Jasper Corbett.


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.

Attack of the Killer Whales05 Sep 202300:27:35

Humans think of themselves as the world’s apex predator. But what happens when another powerful carnivore threatens us in a place where they are the masters? Killer whales have been attacking - and sometimes sinking - sailboats off the coast of Spain and Portugal. This is the story of the changing relationship between humanity and the world’s biggest predator.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Putin v Prigozhin: A story of mutiny and death29 Aug 202300:31:49

In late June, Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow with a small army of mercenaries. Exactly two months later, he was dead. This is the story of what really happened on the road to Moscow.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Spotted: snooker’s fight against match fixing22 Aug 202300:35:30

In June a scandal erupted that threatened the future of snooker after ten elite players were banned for match fixing. It all starts in a small snooker hall in Sheffield, but ends on a journey through a several hundred billion dollar a year black market in south-east Asia. This is how snooker uncovered the biggest British match fixing scandal in over a decade.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Sick river: saving the Brent15 Aug 202300:41:31

Cities are where the battle to save planet earth will be won and lost. But it is not the urban environment that matters, but our relationship with nature within it. What can the story of one dying river, plagued by sewage and indifference, and the campaign to save it, teach us about how to reconnect with and value nature?


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Johnny Depp: the great uncancelling 08 Aug 202300:42:28

In 2017 the MeToo movement swept through Hollywood. Some men, such as Harvey Weinstein, went to prison. Others who were accused of sexual misconduct and assault were ostracised and struggled to find parts in big movies. But six years on some of these same people are back on the red carpets. Is Hollywood trying to rewrite history? 


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

The death of Kellie Sutton 31 Jul 202300:33:25

 A family's six-year fight for a pioneering legal decision. Will an inquest jury conclude, for the first time, that a woman who took her own life was actually killed? 


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Genocide hunters: on the trail of a mass murderer25 Jul 202300:40:27

For almost three decades, one of the world's most wanted men had stayed at large. Earlier this year, he was finally caught. This is the story of how a small band of genocide hunters caught him in a world riddled with secrets, espionage and a $5 million bounty.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Three doors down18 Jul 202300:25:39

In May this year David Boyd was found guilty of the brutal murder of seven year-old Nikki Allan in 1992. Why did it take the police thirty years to find Boyd and get a conviction? This is the story of Nikki’s mother, Sharon Henderson, who has spent thirty years searching for her daughter’s murderer to have him put on trial.


Today we're publishing this new series so that listeners of the Slow Newscast can listen early but if you like what you hear and you want to listen to episode two straight away just search for 'Three doors down' and head straight to the feed.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

The News Meeting with Basia14 Jul 202300:33:06

Slow Newscast host Basia Cummings is in the editor's chair for this episode of The News Meeting. The podcast where three journalists each pitch the one story they think matters most and the editor decides which one should lead the news. In it, we open up the conversations we have all the time in our newsroom about what’s important and why, and what should lead the news. The very kinds of conversations that ultimately decide what stories we tell on the Slow Newscast.


In this episode Basia is joined by Cat Neilan, Claudia Williams and Stephen Armstrong who pitch rising mortgage rates, migrant boats missing in the Atlantic and catastrophic weather in the US.


Follow The News Meeting here so you don't miss future episodes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Modern family: I had my dead son’s baby at 6811 Jul 202300:41:49

Spanish celebrity Ana Obregón shocked the world when she announced that she had a child via surrogate, using a donor egg and the sperm of her deceased son. Her story takes us to the new frontiers of fertility, where technology challenges our ideas of family, motherhood and the law.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Operation Asshole: Paul Watson's whale war19 Nov 202400:44:15

Out on the high seas, Paul Watson became a hero and pariah of the environmental movement. Now he sits in a remote prison. How should we treat the radicals willing to go to extremes to protect the planet?


Reported by: Basia Cummings and Xavier Greenwood

Produced by: Xavier Greenwood

Sound design by: Hannah Varrall and Dominic Delargy

Edited by: Gary Marshall and Matt Russell

Podcast artwork by: Jon Hill


Image credit: Mirco Taliercio/laif/ Camera Press


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.

Crispin Odey: The Octopus’s world04 Jul 202300:36:30

Crispin Odey was one of the most powerful hedge funders in London.  He’s been dismissed from his own company which is being wound up after he was accused of assaulting more than a dozen women over many decades. Why did so many institutions apparently turn a blind eye and do nothing for so long - even though these allegations had trailed him for years? 


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Into The Dirt 27 Jun 202300:39:40

Rob Moore had a successful career in television until one day he ran out of ideas. After a stint as a gardener, a more enticing door was opened for him. He was offered a job in the shadowy world of corporate intelligence - he became a spy.


Tasked with working undercover to extract information from an environmental campaign group, Rob Moore says he eventually became sympathetic to the campaigners’ aims. He decided to turn on his employers and support the group he was meant to be infiltrating. Only it wasn’t that straightforward. He never told the campaigners who he really was and he never told his spymasters what he was really doing. Neither side knew the whole truth. 


That was until 2016, when after years of being in control of these two disparate worlds he was unexpectedly outed. Now, the campaigners see him as a traitor who betrayed their trust. He sees himself as a misunderstood whistleblower.


From the team that brought you Sweet Bobby, and over three years in the making, Into The Dirt is a story about truth, spies and the stories we tell ourselves. Today we're publishing this new series so that listeners of the Slow Newscast can listen early but if you like what you hear and you want to listen to episode two straight away just search for Into The Dirt and head to the feed.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Gender GP: inside the world of private trans healthcare20 Jun 202300:46:52

Last year journalist Polly Curtis spent months trying to understand what went wrong at the Tavistock’s Gender Identity Development Service for young people. You can hear her Tortoise podcast series: Inside the Tavistock here. In the reporting of that series one thing kept coming up: some young people who couldn’t - for whatever reason - access the Tavistock - the only NHS service in England for young people with gender dysphoria, were going down the private healthcare route. So what happens if a young person follows that path? This is the story of Gender GP and its founder, Helen Webberley, an entrepreneurial doctor from south Wales. 


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Epstein's moneymen episode 4: the prey19 Jun 202300:21:25

Bill Gates was the golden philanthropist at the top of the billionaire's league - he was also Epstein's way back into society


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Epstein's moneymen episode 3: master of the universe16 Jun 202300:24:32

Leon Black was the aggressive private equity billionaire at the top of New York society - he also bankrolled Epstein


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Epstein's moneymen episode 2: eyes wide open15 Jun 202300:29:26

After Epstein was dropped by JP Morgan, another bank stepped in to help his sex trafficking empire keep rolling


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

Epstein's moneymen episode 1: the man in the hot tub 13 Jun 202300:35:15

Introducing our new four part series: Epstein's moneymen. A new wave of lawsuits is building against the banks and bankers who are alleged to have enabled Jeffrey Epstein to fund and conceal his sex trafficking empire. Tortoise journalist David Taylor investigates what was happening inside the banks as they profited from their relationships with Epstein.


In episode one, we investigate Jes Staley, one of the most powerful men in banking and Jeffrey Epstein’s protector.


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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 Dishonours List06 Jun 202300:32:36

Boris Johnson is not a man who has much care for institutions or conventions. So what does his forthcoming resignations honours list mean for the future of the House of Lords?


For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.


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.

The 31: Ukraine’s stolen children30 May 202300:47:00

Why is the Kremlin forcibly deporting tens of thousands of children to Russia?


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.

Beastly: The stories of David Walliams23 May 202300:42:20

In February this year, the Telegraph newspaper revealed that Roald Dahl's publisher had “updated” some of his stories for young readers and modern audiences. The news went viral – to some it was the moment the world went mad; to others an exaggerated fuss over nothing. 


But it put the publishing industry in the spotlight, and soon questions were being raised about another, more contemporary author – and known provocateur. David Walliams. In this episode we're asking the question facing publishers around the world: how do you keep a lucrative cultural asset from getting cancelled? 


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.

Elon: A star is born12 Nov 202400:29:37

When Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential election, he told an adoring crowd that "a star is born". He was referring to Elon Musk.


After months of reporting on the billionaire's use of private investigators, Alexi Mostrous asks whether the insights he gained from that investigation reveal how Musk will operate in his new political era, and what that means for everything in his orbit.


Reported and produced by: Alexi Mostrous, Gary Marshall, Matt Russell & Patricia Clarke. 


Sound design: Bart Warshaw 


Original music: Tom Kinsella


Podcast artwork: Jon Hill


Executive producer: Basia Cummings 




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.

Children locked away: Britain's modern bedlam16 May 202300:43:27

A new Tortoise investigation into how the country’s most distressed and vulnerable children are being abandoned by the state.


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.

Blackout: Coal, corruption and cyanide09 May 202300:44:57

South Africa was once a symbol of hope. Now the country experiences regular blackouts. This is the story of how the lights went out in Mandela’s country – and how criminal gangs and flawed political leadership are holding back the world’s efforts to deal with climate change.


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.

Londongrad: Iran’s Hit Squads02 May 202300:35:41

Towards the end of last year the Director General of MI5, Ken McCallum, warned that the security services knew of at least ten attempts to kidnap or kill UK-based enemies of the regime in Iran. That number is now even higher. Paul Caruana Galizia investigates why Iran wants to silence its critics on the streets of London. 


To listen to episode 2 of the series click this link.


Or 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.

Rogue Lawyer: Power, money and a scandal at a London law firm25 Apr 202300:49:06

In 2014, a Jordanian man was imprisoned in a prison in Ras Al Khaimah, the northernmost Emirate in the UAE. He alleges he has been illegally detained and threatened. And the man he blames for this is a British lawyer. This is the story of the UK lawyer facing some of the most serious allegations ever levelled against a member of his profession.


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.

Yesterday's Men: The Brexit hardliners' last stand18 Apr 202300:36:16

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 fusion11 Apr 202300:32:45

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 Rwanda04 Apr 202300:38:00

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 430 Mar 202300:19:20

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.  

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Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 329 Mar 202300:23:17

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.


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Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 229 Mar 202300:28:23

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.

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Sick parade: A crisis at Catterick Garrison05 Nov 202400:37:40

This is a story of stigma, uncomfortable truths and allegations of an attempted cover up at Britain's biggest army base.


As the UK army rapidly modernises its approach towards mental health, an old cultural problem persists at Catterick Garrison where a series of repeated, systemic errors have been uncovered.


Reporters: Claudia Williams and Angela Walker


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

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Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 129 Mar 202300:27:44

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.

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Peltz-Beckham: A super-wedding gone wrong28 Mar 202300:40:00

Eight months after his daughter’s wedding to Brooklyn Beckham, billionaire Nelson Peltz filed a lawsuit against two wedding planners demanding a refund. So what happens when you treat a wedding like a billion-dollar business deal? 


Become a Tortoise member for just £60 a year to receive early and ad-free access to all our award-winning audio journalism, as well as our Sensemaker newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown today.


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.”

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Detained in Modi’s India: A British citizen’s story21 Mar 202300:34:03

For five years a British citizen has been locked up in an Indian prison, and the British state hasn’t been willing – or not strong enough – to stand up for him


Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.


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Rupert Murdoch: News vs the truth14 Mar 202300:51:04

What happened inside Fox News in those critical weeks following Donald Trump’s election defeat in 2020?


Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.



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After the Fall – A death on the Lansdowne Estate28 Feb 202300:46:28

Warning: This episode describes domestic abuse and a death by falling.


When a woman falls out of a window, on an estate that’s been abandoned by the council, how do you find out what really happened? And who do you believe? 


Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.

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Wagner’s war: A year in Ukraine and beyond21 Feb 202300:37:04

First they were known as the “little green men”, an anonymous private Russian force appearing first in Crimea, then Syria, then in central Africa. Now, they are on the frontline of Putin’s war in Ukraine. Just how powerful is the Wagner Group and their increasingly vocal founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin?




Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.


Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today. 

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The prince against the press14 Feb 202300:54:46

The Harry show – the bestselling memoir, the Netflix documentary, the rounds of television interviews – isn’t over. In fact, it’s only just begun: the prince’s legal claims against Britain’s biggest media groups are headed to court this summer




Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.


Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today. 

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Wronged: a murder and a miscarriage of justice07 Feb 202300:47:26

Following a brutal killing in north London in 2016, two innocent men, Patryk and Grzegorz, who had just arrived from Poland, were handed a life sentence for a murder they didn’t commit. This is the story of a remarkable miscarriage of justice, and a feeble effort by the law to correct itself.




Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.


Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today. 

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Snatched: A mother's quest to find her children31 Jan 202300:47:43

What do you do when your children are taken away by your ex-partner? Who do you call for help? And how do you get them back?




Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.


Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today. 

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God on your side: Christians, courts and culture wars24 Jan 202300:43:11

The Christian Legal Centre is behind some of the most tragic cases in the British courts helping parents fight against hospitals in life support cases. Who are they – and what do they want?




Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.


Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today. 

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The Furys: An empire of fists29 Oct 202400:46:32

The Fury family bridge the gladiatorial old world of boxing and the very new world of influencer culture. This is the story of how one family built a multi-million pound empire with their fists.


Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Exec: Basia Cummings


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

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Real Money - episode 1 of our new investigative series17 Jan 202300:37:36

Introducing: 'Real Money: The hunt for Tether's billions'. To listen to episode two of the series, click this link.


The dream of cryptocurrencies is in danger of imploding along with their value. If the crypto coin that supports the whole market goes under it could drag the entire system down with it. That coin is called Tether. 

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Introducing: The News Meeting 13 Jan 202300:09:00

Introducing...The News Meeting from Podimo and Tortoise.


In every newsroom around the world there’s a daily meeting to decide what leads the news, what follows and in what order. As editor of The Times newspaper, director of BBC News and now editor-in-chief of Tortoise, James Harding has been in countless news meetings behind closed doors. But in this podcast, we’re flinging the doors open so you can hear the argument for yourself. Three journalists pitch the story they think mattered most this week and James decides the running order.


New episodes are released every Friday.


Follow The News Meeting wherever you get your podcasts

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The Westminster Accounts09 Jan 202300:41:43

Over £183 million of outside funds has flowed into this parliament alone, with no way of fully understanding who’s getting what, from whom, and why. Until now. This is the story of the money flowing into our politics, hidden in plain sight.


To explore The Westminster Accounts tool click on this link.

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