Every Monday and Friday three journalists battle it out to try and convince the editor that their pitch should lead the news.
Discover what goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom. Why do some stories dominate, while others fail to make the cut?
Tell us if you agree with the final running order - email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Book your place at a news meeting live in our newsroom - https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Producer: Casey Magloire
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Every Monday and Friday three journalists battle it out to try and convince the editor that their pitch should lead the news.
Discover what goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom. Why do some stories dominate, while others fail to make the cut?
Tell us if you agree with the final running order - email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Book your place at a news meeting live in our newsroom - https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Producer: Casey Magloire
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What links Elon Musk’s business ties in South Africa to the US president’s attack on Cyril Ramaphosa? Will AI hit women in the workforce hardest? And could the case of Adriana Smith - a brain-dead pregnant woman being kept alive because she’s pregnant - reshape abortion laws in states like Georgia?
Giles Whittell is joined by writer and journalist Marisa Bate, along with Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong and Phoebe Davis, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the News Meeting Live:
Read more of Phoebe’s reporting on abortion laws in the UK here:
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Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The Observer
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper’s book, Original Sin alleges that officials working for Biden’s administration tried to keep what they describe as the president’s mental decline hidden. Is the media guilty of sensationalising Cassie Ventura’s testimony and the trial involving Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs? Why are changes to the fisheries policies between the EU and UK causing such a fuss?
Giles Whittell is joined by Anu Anand, Stephen Armstrong and Patricia Clarke as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the News Meeting Live:
Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:
Listen to more of the Observer’s coverage on today’s stories here:
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Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The Observer
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why did Bradley Wiggins seek advice from disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong to help him recover from cocaine addiction? What does the indictment of a US judge tell us about President Trump’s plans to take on the judiciary? How is a law from the 1800s being used to criminalise women who have abortions in 2025?
Jess Winch is joined by Marie Le Conte, Rowan Moore and Andrew Butler, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the News Meeting Live:
Read The Observer’s exclusive - Bradley Wiggins: ‘I was a functioning cocaine addict’ HERE
Read Marie’s column on cricket: ‘It’s like a summer fling, but I’m not sure cricket is for me’ HERE
Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:
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Host: Jess Winch, managing editor at The Observer
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producers: Jasper Corbett
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is youth mobility on the cards for Labour’s post-Brexit plan with Europe? Why is it so hard to record incidents of spiking? How will Labour’s immigration plan affect international students and higher education?
Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Myers, Katie Riley and Cat Neilan, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the News Meeting Live
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The Observer
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How will Labour’s immigration legislation affect the UK’s care sector? What are the potential conflicts of interests if Trump accepts a jet from Qatar? The Indian Premier League is set to return after the competition was suspended amid rising tension in Kashmir, but what does this tell us about India's power in international cricket?
Rebecca Moore is joined by Orwell Prize winning Pete Apps, alongside The Observer’s Patricia Clarke and Jessy Parker Humphreys, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 13th May HERE
Read Patricia Clarke’s article in full: ‘How the US president and his clan ushered in a new golden age of corruption’
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Matt Russell
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As tensions rise between the two nuclear powers and US remains noticeably missing from the world stage, who will be the guarantor of peace between India and Pakistan? What does the new US-UK trade deal tell us about the new world order? Elon Musk is stepping away from Doge, was his time in government a success or costly failure?
Jess Winch is joined by author Quinn Slobodian and The Observer’s Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 13th May HERE
Purchase Quinn’s book ‘Hayek's Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right’ HERE
Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories HERE
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Matt Russell
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why are there calls to return British art like the original Winnie-the-Pooh doll from America to the UK? Trump and Zelensky have finally signed the US-Ukraine mineral deal, but who is the real winner? With wedding season approaching, what lengths are people willing to take to look slimmer on the big day?
Rebecca Moore is joined by Jeevan Vasagar, James Tapper and Vanessa Thorpe, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April HERE
Listen to James Tapper’s Sensemaker episode, 'The Down sides of weightloss drugs’ HERE
Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett
To find out more about The Observer:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What do councils do with the money they get from renting public spaces out for festivals? How will the Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of a woman impact our day-to-day lives? And North Korea has confirmed it sent troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.
Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Moore, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Miranda Sawyer as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://observer.co.uk/our-events/the-news-meeting-live
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Follow us on Social Media:
Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Head to our website observer.co.uk
Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Host: Giles Whittell
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Matt Russell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Donald Trump has failed to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, how frustrated is he with Russia’s latest round of attacks on Kyiv? Ofcom published its news set of rules tech firms must comply with - or else. And how have the devastating attacks in Kashmir reignited tensions between India and Pakistan?
Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Moore, Stephen Armstrong and Cat Neilan, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Giles Whittell
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What does the government’s takeover of the Scunthorpe steelworks mean for the future of UK industry? Why is a bin strike in Birmingham exposing deep cracks in Britain’s social fabric? And who’s paying the price for Trump’s cuts to US foreign aid?
Rebecca Moore is joined by Katie Gunning, Stephen Armstrong and NPR’s Lauren Frayer as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:
Listen to Stephen’s Slow Newscast episode, 'DIE, DIE, DEI’ here: lnk.to/8NMCoV
Listen to Lauren’s report on the impact of US aid cuts in Syria here: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5342255/how-trumps-cuts-to-u-s-foreign-aid-have-hobbled-syrias-war-crimes-investigations
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Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A few hours before he announced a 90-day pause on tariffs, the president posted “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT” on social media. Why has this led to accusations he manipulated the market for his own gain? The popularity of companion AI chatbots is rapidly increasing, but what safety nets are in place to protect young people? How have Big Law firms in America reacted to Trump 2.0?
Rebecca Moore is joined by Hashi Mohamad, Patricia Clarke and Katie Riley, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:
Listen to Patricia’s Slow Newscast episode, 'My AI Girlfriend’ here: lnk.to/MyAIGirlfriend
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The United Nations says 15 medics have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, could this mark a turning point in how the West responds to the war? Is Keir Starmer right to suggest Donald Trump’s tariffs spell the end of globalisation? And with trillions wiped off global markets, will the President retreat from his punchy new policy?
Giles Whittell is joined by Jasper Corbett, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Cat Neilan, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Listen to Chloe’s episode of the Sensemaker here: lnk.to/sensemaker
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Will President Trump’s global tariff hike force countries to forge new alliances beyond the US? What is the government’s plan to tackle the problems involving young boys in Netflix’s Adolescence? And why are doctors sounding the alarm over the return of Victorian-era diseases?
Jess Winch is joined by the Observer’s Rebecca Myers, along with Jasper Corbett and Stephen Armstrong from Tortoise, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Jess Winch, news editor at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One of the largest earthquakes in decades has wrecked parts of Myanmar, but how does a country still grappling with civil war and military rule handle a natural disaster of this scale? The Guardian investigates why senior Tory Lords and MPs are lobbying to thwart the renters’ reform bill. What does Prince Harry’s bullying allegations, brought forward by his former charity chief, reveal about the way we provide aid?
Basia Cummings is joined by the Guilty Feminist’s Deborah Frances-White, plus Tortoise’s Katie Riley and Claudia Williams, as they battle it out to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Take a look at Tortoise’s Peer Review tools here - https://www.tortoisemedia.com/peer-review-explore-tool
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Basia Cummings, Editor at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Will there be any repercussions after top US security officials accidentally added the editor of the Atlantic to a Signal group used to plan airstrikes in Yemen? New government, new Spring Statement, but is this the same old politics? And why we need to talk about the growing fashion scene in Bath.
Giles Whittell is joined by journalist Anu Anand, Bath Spa University Chancellor Sharanjit Leyl and Tortoise’s Chloe Hadjimatheou, as they battle it out and try to pitch the top story of the day.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here:
https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Giles Whittell, Deputy Editor at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have the disruptions at Heathrow airport revealed key weaknesses in the UK’s infrastructure? Is the US looking to pull out of Ukraine so it can focus on a potential war with China? And what will happen to millions of people’s genetic data now that 23andMe has declared bankruptcy?
Giles Whittell is joined by Sky News’ Yalda Hakim, alongside Tortoise’s Patricia Clarke and Cat Neilan, as they each pitch a story they think should lead the news.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live!
Get your ticket for Wednesday 26th March in Bath here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-3
And our London live show on Tuesday 29th April here:
https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Listen to Tortoise’s latest episode of the Slow Newscast, The $Trumpcon - here
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim podcast - here
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Jess Winch, News Editor at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What is President Trump’s “voluntary transfer plan” for Gaza residents? As Trump clashes with a federal judge over mass deportation, is the Supreme Court willing to stand up to the President? Who were the Navajo code talkers, and why was their wartime legacy briefly erased from US military websites?
Jess Winch is joined by Tortoise’s Katie Riley, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Jasper Corbett, as they each pitch a story they think should lead the news.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live!
Get your ticket for Wednesday 26th March in Bath here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-3
And our London live show on Tuesday 29th April here:
https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Listen to Tortoise’s latest investigative series - Lucky Boy - here
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Jess Winch, News Editor at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are welfare reforms Labour’s only hope of saving money ahead of the Spring Statement? Who are the hundreds of Venezuelans who have been forcibly removed from the US? And what is the media getting wrong when it comes to reporting on femicide by an intimate partner?
Giles Whittell is joined by Media Storm podcast hosts Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia, along with Claudia Williams from Tortoise, as they each pitch a story they think should lead the news.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live!
Get your ticket for Wednesday 26th March in Bath here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-3
And our London live show on Tuesday 29th April here:
https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Giles Whittell, deputy at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is potential deportation of Mahmoud Khalil proof that Donald Trump will use cancel culture against his loudest critics? If misogyny is a political ideology, should the Southport murderer's crime be classed as terrorism? Why health professionals are struggling to treat teenagers addicted to vaping.
Giles Whittell is joined by founder and host of The Young Turks, Cenk Uygur. Plus,Tortoise’s Katie Riley and Claudia Williams, as they each pitch a story they think should lead the news.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live!
Get your ticket for Wednesday 26th March in Bath here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-3
And our London live show on Tuesday 29th April here:
https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Giles Whittell, deputy at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is King Charles’ new Apple playlist a savvy PR move or just a bid for relevance? Mark Carney is Canada's new prime minister; are technocrats the best leaders to combat Trump 2.0? How will the Reform party’s internal battle impact the next British election?
Jeevan Vasagar is joined by Orwell Prize-winning author and Inside Housing contributing editor, Pete Apps. Plus,Tortoise’s Katie Riley and Katie Gunning as they each pitch a story they think should lead the news.
**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live!
Get your ticket for Wednesday 26th March in Bath here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-3
And our London live show on Tuesday 29th April here:
https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2
Follow us on Social Media:
Host: Jeevan Vasagar, contributing editor at Tortoise
Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com
Producer: Casey Magloire
Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
