The Take
Al Jazeera
The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 7, 2026 • 24min
Another Take: Capturing Algeria’s fight for liberation
Mila Turajlić, a documentary filmmaker from Belgrade who researches Yugoslavia and its transnational histories. She uncovers rare 35mm reels by Stevan Labudović documenting Algeria’s liberation. The conversation covers propaganda and media as a battlefield, Yugoslavia’s non-aligned diplomacy, the archive’s rarity, and how film and the UN helped internationalize Algeria’s struggle.
Feb 6, 2026 • 26min
Ayman Mohyeldin: from Gaza and Tahrir to journalism today
Ayman Mohyeldin, veteran journalist and MS NOW anchor with 25 years reporting from Gaza and Tahrir Square. He recalls live reporting that shaped his career. He reflects on risks reporters face in Gaza. He discusses challenges of platforming truth, polarization, and transitioning from field reporting to hosting.
Feb 5, 2026 • 22min
How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia’s winter war
Oleksiy Sorokin, deputy chief editor at the Kyiv Independent and frontline reporter in Kyiv, gives on-the-ground accounts of life during war. He describes daily blackouts and bombardment, the human toll of the coldest winter, deliberate attacks on energy infrastructure, stalled ceasefire talks and territorial red lines, and how winter shapes morale and the battlefield.
Feb 4, 2026 • 23min
Rafah crossing partially reopens as wounded remain trapped
Ali Harb, Al Jazeera senior producer and correspondent covering Gaza and the Middle East, breaks down the Rafah crossing's partial reopening. He walks through how medical evacuations are approved and delayed. He details Gaza’s decimated health system, medicine shortages, and the limits of evacuations without rebuilding. He explains Egypt’s dilemma and the risk that the opening may not last.
16 snips
Feb 3, 2026 • 23min
Will the US force regime change in Cuba?
Ed Augustin, an independent Havana-based reporter covering Cuban politics and society. He describes Cuba’s deepening oil and blackout crisis. He explains how losing Venezuelan fuel worsened daily life. He walks through U.S. pressure, Mexico’s oil deliveries, and the role of Cuban-American politics. He discusses why the Cuban government may resist outside attempts to force change.
6 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 23min
As EU tightens borders, Spain legalizes 500,000 migrants
Marcos Bartolomé, Al Jazeera audio producer in Barcelona who covers Spain and European migration, explains Spain's new decree legalizing roughly 500,000 undocumented residents. He walks through how the regularization window works and who stands to benefit. He details grassroots pressure that pushed the law, the political backlash, and why Spain diverges from stricter EU approaches.
4 snips
Feb 1, 2026 • 5min
Brief: Rafah reopens to restricted traffic as Israeli strikes continue to kill
Ibrahim al-Khalili, Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza, reports on damaged cemeteries and the struggle to bury the dead. Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza, gives on-the-ground updates about Rafah’s restricted reopening, movement limits and ongoing airstrike casualties. Short updates cover reopening rules, deadly strikes during the truce and the emotional toll of disrupted burials.
Jan 31, 2026 • 25min
Another Take: Inside the TikTok deal – the politics of the algorithm
Robert Rogowsky, a trade and tech policy professor, breaks down who might end up controlling TikTok’s powerful recommendation engine. Hear short takes on how the algorithm tracks attention, the proposed U.S. consortium of tech and media figures, risks of political influence, and what retraining feeds on U.S. data could mean for what millions see.
8 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 25min
Why is evidence of Israel's war crimes in Gaza disappearing?
Lila Hassan, an investigative journalist who documents conflict and human rights abuses, explores how Gaza’s visual records are being lost. She discusses local archivists risking everything to save footage. She examines social platforms’ removals, technical threats like bit rot and AI, and the hurdles of turning videos into legal evidence.
7 snips
Jan 29, 2026 • 25min
'They picked the wrong state': how Minneapolis is fighting back
Marcia Howard, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Educators and community steward of George Floyd Square, discusses organizing after the 2020 uprising. She recounts the week of federal raids and a fatal shooting. She describes grassroots rapid-response networks, mutual aid, daily coordination, and calls to abolish ICE.
