Talking points
Slow Burn, Slate’s really rather good long-form podcast, is moving away from politics and into pop culture for its upcoming third season, which will recall the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and the Notorious BIG. Hosted by reporter Joel Anderson, the season will launch this autumn.
Spotify has started to insert podcasts into their music playlists, according to The Verge. The move comes as part of their push to become one of podcasting’s major players.
Picks of the week
On Second Thought: The Trevor Noah Podcast
Depending on who you believe, new subscription service Luminary is either the saviour or destroyer of the podcast industry. The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah is one of the big names signed up for hosting duties. Here he looks at conversations “far more complex than flashy headlines or trending hashtags lead us to believe”. Which means moments such as a deep dive on Tiger Woods’s comeback, discussed with the golfer’s biographer Jeff Benedict. Hannah Verdier
BBC 1Xtra DJ Jamz Supernova isn’t just a music presenter, having interviewed some of the country’s buzziest creatives on her show DIY Generation. In this chatty if informative series (which is very lightly branded; support coming from a finance/tech startup) she tackles myths around money, in an effort to inform young people about topics such as debt and wealth inequality. The opening episode features writers Laura Whateley and Katherine Ormerod, with gal-dem’s Liv Little slated to appear. Hannah J Davies
A 10-episode report on rhino poaching, presented by – of all people – Kevin Pietersen. The former England cricket maverick has now relocated to South Africa, where he and BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sarah Brett see the horror of pointlessly slaughtered animals close up, as well as meeting both poachers and the people who vow to stop them by any necessary means. Along with the importance of the issue itself, we’re also informed of how it influences Pietersen’s life post-retirement. Episodes available every Friday. Jack Seale
Guardian pick: Politics Weekly
The latest calamity to strike Theresa May’s Tory government, Wednesday evening saw the dramatic sacking of Gavin Williamson over a supposed leak of Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s 5G network. Williamson says he didn’t do it (even supposedly going as far as to swear on his own children’s lives). May says he did. It’s all very dramatic.
So there was really nowhere else to go for this week’s episode of Politics Weekly, which sees Jessica Elgot joined by The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh and Jonathan Freedland, along with Henry Newman from Open Europe and Stephanie Lloyd from Progress. They discuss Williamson, they discuss Cabinet replacements, and importantly, they ask what this all means for crucial Brexit talks. Max Sanderson
Producer pick: A Mile in My Shoes: Margaret Watroba
Chosen by Katherine Godfrey, Head of Audio
Recently, I’ve been making time amidst news and politics podcasts for the beautifully-crafted, 10 or so minute podcasts from the Empathy Museum’s innovative project A Mile in My Shoes. Each one is a single voice, no mediator, telling their own story. The effect of just a short listen is pretty profound - an immediate connection to the world, to people I’ve never met. This week’s was a story of migration and mountains told by the electrical engineer and mountaineer Margaret Watroba, who has attempted to summit Everest Base Camp four times. It was produced by Meri Fatin. Much like Nan Shepherd’s glorious nature writing about the Cairngorms in The Living Mountain, Watroba speaks not of harnessing nature but of connecting with it. She says “The mountain has got, in my opinion, a spirit. It lets me reach the summit. I don’t conquer the mountain; I ask the mountain to allow me to go there.” A Mile in My Shoes is a joyous invitation to connect.
