The Listening Post

The U.S. counter-narcotics mission off Venezuela is scrutinized for its dubious justification as a narrative for regime change. Venezuelans face intensifying repression, while mainstream media replicate this unproven narrative, echoing familiar patterns from past conflicts. Meanwhile, leaks disrupt Russia-Ukraine negotiations, raising tensions and uncertainty. The rise of Israeli settlers and their normalization in media reflects far-right ideologies gaining traction, highlighting an unsettling shift in the sociopolitical landscape.

In the West Bank, unprecedented violence from Israeli settlers against Palestinians is escalating, largely ignored by mainstream media. Journalists attempting to cover these events face violent reprisals, and many Palestinians are turning to phones to document the attacks. The complicity of the Israeli state in these actions is evident, as is the intricate coordination with military forces. Meanwhile, U.S. rhetoric signals potential intervention in Venezuela, paralleling dangerous media narratives. Additionally, experts discuss the pervasive disinformation strategies employed by fossil fuel companies undermining climate action.

The BBC is in turmoil. A leaked dossier exposing a misedited speech of United States President Donald Trump and other editorial concerns has triggered resignations at the top - and a $1bn lawsuit threat from the US leader. Why the leak surfaced now, and who steps in next, are still open questions. Most importantly, will the BBC be able to recover from this moment? Contributors: Ben de Pear – Former editor, Channel 4 News Jane Martinson – Professor, University of London Karishma Patel – Former newsreader, BBC Tom Mills – Author, The BBC: Myth of a Public Service On our radar This week, Ahmed al-Sharaa became the first Syrian president ever to set foot in the White House. A landmark diplomatic trip filled with photo ops and political theatre, marking his transition from a US-designated terrorist to an ally. Meenakshi Ravi reports. AI slop tsunami: Is the internet now a junkyard? Elettra Scrivo explores how social media platforms are rapidly changing with the surge of AI content. Low-quality, mass-produced, artificially generated content, otherwise known as AI slop, is designed to trigger the algorithms and generate revenue for Big Tech companies. Featuring: Drew Harwell – Technology reporter, The Washington Post Mark Lawrence Garilao – AI video content creator Myojung Chung – Associate professor, Northeastern University

The Israeli government is facing what it calls a “public relations disaster” after a video surfaced showing soldiers torturing and sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner - a clear war crime under any legal system. Public outrage in Israel has focused less on the abuse itself and more on the leak. And the military’s chief prosecutor, who admitted leaking the footage, has been arrested and branded a traitor. The saga is yet another example of Israeli society’s unwillingness to confront what it has become. Contributors: Chris Doyle - Director, Council for Arab-British Understanding Mairav Zonszien - Senior Israel analyst, International Crisis Group Ori Goldberg - Academic and political commentator Yara Hawari - Co-director, Al-Shabaka On our radar: After an 18-month siege, the Sudanese city of el-Fasher has fallen to the RSF, triggering mass atrocities under a near-total media blackout. With journalists killed, captured, or missing, satellite imagery has become one of the few remaining windows into the violence. Ryan Kohls reports on the city’s fall and the growing evidence of a potential genocide in Darfur. Kenya’s most nicknamed president In Kenya, political satire often takes the form of sharp, witty nicknames - and President William Ruto has earned plenty. As his popularity wanes, young Kenyans online are using these nicknames to mock and challenge his leadership in ways that traditional media cannot. The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead reports on Ruto’s long, growing and politically problematic list of nicknames. Featuring: Paul Kelemba (Maddo) - Cartoonist Nanjala Nyabola - Political analyst and writer Wandia Njoya - Professor of literature, Daystar University Producers: Soumayya El Filali & Nicholas Muirhead Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #aljazeera #aljazeeraenglish #aljazeeranewslive

In this enlightening discussion, guests include Kate de Gruyter, Senior Director at Third Way, who critiques democratic socialist candidates; Adam Johnson, a left-leaning commentator exploring media bias; Briahna Joy Gray, a progressive analyst advocating for anti-establishment stances; and Jon Paul Lupo, a communications consultant dissecting media framing. They delve into Zohran Mamdani's political rise amid intense media scrutiny, the implications of his candidacy for Democratic dynamics, and how his clear policy proposals counteract hostility, positioning him as a transformative figure for progressive movements.

El-Fasher, Sudan: a city besieged, starving and largely unseen. As journalists come under fire in Sudan, a lack of international media interest is helping to conceal one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Contributors: Hassan Berkia – Journalist Kholood Khair – Director, Confluence Advisory Khalid Medani – Associate Professor, McGill Institute of Islamic Studies On our radar: In the occupied West Bank, American journalist Jasper Nathaniel filmed Israeli settlers – backed by soldiers – attacking Palestinians during the olive harvest. Ryan Kohls speaks to Nathaniel about what he witnessed and what it reveals about Israel’s culture of impunity. Why India’s media faces scepticism beyond its borders India’s news channels were once symbols of a vibrant democracy. Today, they’re seen by many of India’s neighbours as propaganda tools - exporting jingoism, sensationalism and Hindutva politics across borders. Meenakshi Ravi reports on rising anti-India sentiment in the region and a crisis of credibility that no longer stops at home. Featuring: Roman Gautam – Editor, Himal Southasian Deepak Kumar Goswami – Filmmaker & actor Smita Sharma – Journalist

As Donald Trump tries to take credit for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel continues to kill Palestinians. And as both Israeli and Palestinian captives are released, the glaring double standards in coverage lay bare how this genocide was allowed to go on for so long. Contributors:  Tahani Mustafa – Visiting Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations Mouin Rabbani – Co-editor, Jadaliyya Kenneth Roth – Former Executive Director, Human Rights Watch Oren Ziv – Journalist, +972 Magazine On our radar This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Corina Machado, chose to dedicate her award to Donald Trump. Meenakshi Ravi reports on what motivated the Venezuelan opposition leader to pander to the United States president. All the president’s women: the rise of the ‘womanosphere’ For years, the right-wing media space has been dominated by men. But the 2024 election shone a light on a rising parallel force within Donald Trump’s MAGA movement: the so-called "womanosphere". Across YouTube channels, social media and podcasts, conservative women are rebranding right-wing politics for a female audience. Featuring:  Annie Kelly – UK Correspondent, QAA Podcast Nicole Kiprilov – Republican Party strategist Eviane Leidig – Author, The Women of the Far Right

For the past couple of months, the billionaire father-son duo of Larry and David Ellison have been making deals involving major media brands. Having acquired Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, they appointed Bari Weiss - an outspoken supporter of Israel - as the network’s editor-in-chief. The moves by the Ellisons are not just about growing their media empire, but about shaping the narrative around Israel in the US, where public support continues to decline. Contributors:  David Klion - Columnist, The Nation Danielle Moodie - Host, The Danielle Moodie Show Ryan Grim - Reporter, Drop Site News On our radar: Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire, ending two years of genocide. It’s a moment that brought relief to Palestinians in Gaza. But for Donald Trump, it was an opportunity for self-congratulation - with both he and his allies emphasising how pivotal he was in making things happen. Tariq Nafi has been following the story. Chega: How Portugal's media gave populism a megaphone In Portugal, the far-right party Chega, once on the fringes, is leading the polls, and its leader, Andre Ventura, has become one of the country’s most recognisable political figures. Ventura’s rise has been spurred by his television background and carefully crafted media persona. The onetime football pundit has become a political showman. And he’s been amplified by the country’s mainstream media, who have been chasing ratings over accountability.  Ryan Kohls reports. Featuring: Miguel Carvalho - Journalist Ines Narciso - Disinformation researcher, Iscte-Iul Anabela Neves - Journalist, CNN Portugal

In this special episode, we examine the systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza during two years of Israeli genocide. With international media barred from freely reporting in the Strip, local journalists have risked their lives to document the unprecedented killing, destruction and displacement around them. Since October 7, 2023, more media workers have been killed in Gaza than in any modern conflict. Families have been torn apart, homes and offices destroyed, and reporters have been wounded, seen their families killed or have been killed themselves. This episode reveals the extraordinary playbook employed by Israel to threaten, intimidate, smear and target Palestinian journalists. Contributors: Wael Dahdouh – Gaza Bureau Chief, Al Jazeera Jodie Ginsberg – Chief Executive, Committee to Protect Journalists Sharif Abdel Kouddous – Journalist & Editor, Drop Site News Rachel Shabi – Journalist and author Presenter: Richard Gizbert Produced by: Soumaya El Filali, Monazza Farooqi, Ella Willis, Tariq Nafi, Meenakshi Ravi

After almost 2 years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Western powers have issued synchronised declarations recognising Palestinian statehood - a diplomatic move seemingly born out of the immense public pressure they face. What’s missing from the story is the concrete measures those governments could take to stop the slaughter in Gaza, as well as their complicity by continuing to supply weapons to Israel. Contributors: Ines Abdel Razek – Co-director, Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy Michael Lynk – Former UN special rapporteur, occupied Palestinian territory Michael Omer-Man – Director Israel-Palestine, DAWN Seamus Malekafzali - Journalist On our radar: Three years into a civil war, Sudan is one of the most underreported stories in the world. Meenakshi Ravi reports on the near-collapse of the country’s media industry and the journalists trying to break the information blockade. How Palantir got techno-militiarism trending Silicon Valley CEOs are increasingly making the case that their technologies can transform the way that wars are fought. And of all the companies involved in this military-tech boom, one stands out: Palantir. Branding itself as America First, the data analytics firm has won billions of dollars in contracts and makes no apologies for the need to kill people - if that's what it takes to protect Western interests. Tariq Nafi reports on how the company sells a sleek, one-click solution to warfare. Featuring: Juan Sebastian Pinto – Former Palantir employee Matt Mahmoudi – Researcher, Amnesty Tech Elke Schwarz – Author, Death Machines: The Ethics of Violent Technologies