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
Apr 9, 2026 • 29min
Can we be saved from AI?
Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and creator of infinite scroll, and Patricia Clarke, award-winning tech reporter for The Observer, dig into design liability after a $6M verdict. They explore how product design fuels harm, practical fixes like added friction and accountability, and whether AI companions and chatbots can be regulated and made safer.
8 snips
Apr 7, 2026 • 34min
Frontier Men: The Forbidden Island
Mishka Polyakov, a YouTuber and traveller who tried to reach North Sentinel Island, shares first-person accounts of a risky inflatable voyage. Short, tense scenes cover his landing, arrest and motives for filming. The episode contrasts historical contact, legal and ethical fallout, and looming development threats to isolated peoples.
Apr 2, 2026 • 33min
China’s shadow war: Ice picks in suburbia | Episode Three
A businessman living a double life allegedly plots violent attacks with ice picks and clandestine surveillance. The story traces eerie ties between small-town life, foreign influence and transnational repression. A midnight escape, a mysterious private jet and political meddling in Serbia add high-stakes intrigue.
7 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 21min
China’s shadow war: The Americans | Episode Two
Dawn Norristoke, a former FBI counterintelligence agent with 20+ years’ experience, recounts China’s transnational repression. She outlines how operatives target politicians, students and dissidents. She explains use of third-party proxies and chilling plots including arson, harassment and recruitment of Americans to do Beijing’s bidding.
8 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 38min
China’s shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One
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
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.
