PodcastsDocumentaryThe Slow Newscast

The Slow Newscast

The Observer
The Slow Newscast
Latest episode

394 episodes

  • The Slow Newscast

    Can we be saved from AI?

    09/04/2026 | 28 mins.
    Meta and YouTube were found liable earlier this year in a social media addiction trial and ordered to pay out $6 million in damages. Could this be a blueprint for how to avoid history repeating itself with AI?

    Host: Alexi Mostrous
    Producer: Amalie Sortland

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Slow Newscast

    Frontier Men: The Forbidden Island

    07/04/2026 | 33 mins.
    Last year, a YouTuber attempted to reach an uncontacted tribe on the remote island of North Sentinel, an area that is out of bounds for everyone else on the planet. His bid for content may have been audacious, and illegal, but it’s just the latest in a long line of misguided foreigners attempting to make contact. But do these individuals represent the greatest threat to the tribe? And what do we as a planet stand to lose if contact is made?

    Reporter: Xavier Greenwood
    Producer: Madeleine Parr
    Additional production: Ada Barumé
    Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp
    Sound design: Dominic Delargy
    Editor: Matt Russell
    Clip Credits: NBC News, News 10 and News9 Live

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  • The Slow Newscast

    China’s shadow war: Ice picks in suburbia | Episode Three

    02/04/2026 | 32 mins.
    A businessman from Tunbridge Wells is accused of leading a double life. He’s secretly recorded planning a brutal attack with ice picks on behalf of the Chinese state. His story takes a dramatic turn with a high-stakes escape.

    To enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

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    Reporters - Alexi Mostrous and Frankie Vetch
    Producer - Jonathan Lewis
    Additional production - Amalie Sortland
    Sound design - Dominic Delargy
    Podcast illustration - Shonagh Rae
    Editor - Jasper Corbett

    Credits - Voice of America, CBS
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Slow Newscast

    China’s shadow war: The Americans | Episode Two

    01/04/2026 | 21 mins.
    American citizens are recruited to carry out Beijing’s dirty work on home soil. A Florida correctional officer poses as an art dealer, exposing the murky world of transnational repression and China’s shadow war.

    This is part two of a three part series. To listen to all episodes today, and enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

    You’ll get access to:

    This series and all our podcasts before anyone else
    Ad-free listening
    Premium newsletters
    Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword
    Exclusive offers from our partners
    Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

    Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

    Reporters - Alexi Mostrous and Frankie Vetch
    Producer - Jonathan Lewis
    Additional production - Amalie Sortland
    Sound design - Dominic Delargy
    Podcast illustration - Shonagh Rae
    Editor - Jasper Corbett

    Credits - CNBC
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Slow Newscast

    China’s shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One

    31/03/2026 | 38 mins.
    Alexi goes in search of the “long arm” of the Chinese state following a series of attacks and bounties on British soil. He uncovers a coordinated campaign of fear that has left dissidents feeling unsafe in the UK – and asks what British authorities are doing to protect them.

    This is Part One of a three part series. To listen to all episodes today, and enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

    You’ll get access to:
    This series and all our podcasts before anyone else
    Ad-free listening
    Premium newsletters
    Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword
    Exclusive offers from our partners
    Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

    Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.

    Reporters - Alexi Mostrous and Frankie Vetch
    Producer - Jonathan Lewis
    Additional production - Amalie Sortland
    Sound design - Dominic Delargy
    Podcast illustration - Shonagh Rae
    Editor - Jasper Corbett

    Credits - Channel 4, Sky News, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About The Slow Newscast

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.
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