The Slow Newscast
The Observer
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.Subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription: Early access, bonus content and ad-free listening to our podcastsA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
8 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 38min
China’s shadow war: The dissidents
Linden Lee, a Chinese refugee and former journalist who fled to the UK after Hong Kong protests, and Finn Lau, a pro-democracy activist from the Umbrella Movement now in exile. They describe threats, bounties and alleged recruitment and infiltration tactics aimed at silencing critics in Britain. The conversation traces fear, surveillance and community unease across the diaspora.
Mar 26, 2026 • 22min
Why do mothers abandon babies?
Katie Gunning, series producer who tracked records and stats. Lucy Greenwell, series reporter who narrated foundling stories and research. They explore why foundling tales endure. They examine faulty statistics, gaps in paperwork, recent East London cases, legal and ethical patterns, DNA triangulation limits, concealed pregnancies driven by fear and stigma, and the lifelong psychological impact on foundlings.
Mar 24, 2026 • 41min
Foundling | Tortoise Investigates
A newborn left in a supermarket bag sparks a decades-long mystery about origin and identity. A woman retraces the verge where she was found and confronts the shock of learning she was abandoned. The story follows detective leads, an anonymous parcel, a social media breakthrough finding the woman who discovered the baby, and the legal hurdles that keep foundlings' origins hidden.
8 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 24min
Can AI write good literature?
Tom Gatti, Observer book editor, gives an editorial take on AI mimicking genre tropes. Ada Barumé, author and podcast producer, shares experiments using ChatGPT to draft fiction. Erica Wagner, writer and former Booker judge, discusses authorship ethics and training-set controversies. They debate AI prose quality, originality, and the emotional and legal stakes of machine-made writing.
8 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 33min
Kill talk: Pete Hegseth and the language of war
Erika Wagner, Observer literary critic and author, dissects Pete Hegseth’s combative rhetoric and polished soundbites. She and Alexei explore his gunslinging, video-game tone, how military service and TV shaped it, and whether brutal language signals honesty or masks strategy. They compare it to measured military and political speech and probe its political appeal.
Mar 10, 2026 • 46min
Your best baby
Professor Anna Lukason, Director of the Centre for Personalised Medicine at Oxford, gives a concise scientific perspective on polygenic risk scores and embryo screening. She discusses the statistical limits of prediction and population-data pitfalls. She also highlights environmental influences and why headline claims can mislead.
27 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 17min
Rogue Brits: The Orthobros
Francisco Garcia, a reporter who investigated British converts to Orthodoxy, shares on-the-ground reporting and analysis. He explores how young men find meaning in Orthodox tradition and aesthetics. He discusses Orthodox content creators, monetized online culture, politicized converts using theology for right-wing narratives, and the gap between online myth and real parish life.
9 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 40min
Rogue Brits: Fighting for Putin
A deep dive into Britons who left home to fight on Russia's side, tracing journeys from small-town roots to frontline life. Conversations cover online radicalization, paramilitary training abroad, and the logistics of joining Russian forces. The narrative also examines combat realities, psychological toll, citizenship shifts and the legal risks of returning to the UK.
Feb 24, 2026 • 45min
Stephen Miller’s America
A deep look at a powerful adviser’s rise from teen provocateur to architect of hardline immigration and enforcement tactics. Discussion covers family separation, large ICE deployments and controversial raids. The story moves from covert operations in Venezuela to ambitious hemispheric plans and even strategic claims like Greenland.
Feb 17, 2026 • 32min
“My best pal”: Mandelson and Epstein
Peter Mandelson, senior British political figure and former Labour cabinet minister, is discussed in depth. The conversation traces his abrupt sacking after his US appointment and examines newly revealed email exchanges and financial links with Jeffrey Epstein. It also explores Mandelson’s influence in Washington, the sharing of sensitive information, and the political fallout rippling through Labour.
