The News Meeting

Are male novelists a dying breed? Can women trust apps with their personal data? Are tariffs the only way Donald Trump knows how to do diplomacy?Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Home Affairs Editor John Simpson, Head of Data and Graphics Katie Riley and Consulting Editor for Comment, Erica Wagner. Links to the team’s Must Reads here: What do tweens really want?DOGE-pilledRead Erica’s piece on the Booker Prize longlist HEREFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Producer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Rebecca MooreTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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 the UK’s decision to conditionally recognise the state of Palestine more symbolic than practical? As protests in Epping continue, how is rhetoric around asylum seekers impacting children from ethnic minority backgrounds? Now that the Lionesses have won the Euros for a second time, is this confirmation that the hard work put into the women’s game has paid off?Giles Whittell is joined by ITV News Presenter and Loose Women panellist Charlene White. Plus, the Observer’s narrative editor Chloe Hadjimatheou and Deputy Sports Editor, Andrew Butler.**Join us at the next News Meeting Live HEREDive deeper into all the stories from this episode: Leader: it is time to recognise Palestine HERESensemaker podcast: How did the Lionesses do it again? HERENever mind the economy, immigration is now a bigger concern for voters HERESensemaker podcast: How much aid is getting through to Gaza? HERENigel Farage wants to be taken seriously, but can’t stop playing dangerous games HEREFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell, Deputy Editor-In-ChiefProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producer: Matt Russell, Deputy Head of Audio and Rebecca Moore, Executive producerTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.

Are Labour’s concerns about social cohesion a sign that they may be aligning with some of Reforms ideas on immigration? Why does Kemi Badenoch want to outlaw doctors’ strikes? And are the latest aid drops in Gaza a sign of change to come? Jasper Corbett is joined by journalist and broadcaster David Aaronovitch. Plus, the Observer reporter Stephen Armstrong and senior producer Katie Gunning.**Listen to the Sensemaker podcast: How did the Lionesses do it again? HERE**Join us at the News Meeting Live HERELinks to the team’s Must Reads here: Tom Lehrer, Musical Satirist With a Dark Streak, Dies at 97Britain isn’t broken by Sam Freedman What I Learnt From Being Disinherited by Daisy GoodwinFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Jasper Corbett, Head of Audio Producer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producer: Matt Russell, Deputy Head of AudioTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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 Belgium paving the way for more international action over Gaza? Have the Lionesses paved the way for a permanent change in English football culture? What’s going on at Unite? Rebecca Moore is joined by three Observer journalists. Senior Digital Editor Claudia Williams, Sports Reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys and Architecture Critic Rowan Moore. Links to the team’s Must Reads here: The billionaire and the tax evading gift shopsThe Human Side of Music’s Prince Of DarknessRecords Tumbling for Lucy BronzeListen to the Inside Unite HERE**Join us at the News Meeting Live HEREFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, Executive ProducerProducer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Jasper Corbett, Head of AudioTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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 has Israel launched a new air and ground offensive in Gaza, where many international aid organisations are operating? Will plans to overhaul the water companies in England and Wales work? And why is Donald Trump suing Rupert Murdoch? Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer’s Head of Data and Graphics, Katie Riley, researcher Serena Cesareo, and reporter Stephen Armstrong.Links to the team’s Must Reads here: ‘My Friends’ by Hisham Matar: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127488823-my-friends ‘Where Americans Ever Healthy’ by Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-07-18/was-the-us-ever-healthy-what-maha-gets-wrong-about-nutrition-history ‘You Said ‘Yes’ to Being an Organ Donor. What Exactly Does That Mean?’ by the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/health/organ-donors-information.html **Join us at the News Meeting Live HERE: Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Jasper Corbett, Head of AudioProducer: Amalie SortandExecutive Producer: Matt RussellTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will the conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein divide Trump from his MAGA supporters? Can British culture accept genetically modifying embryos to prevent serious diseases? And why have we only just learned of the data breach involving Afghan refugees? Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Head of Audio Jasper Corbett, reporter Phoebe Davis and producer Poppy Bullard. Links to the team’s Must Reads here: Sarina Wiegman, the tough England manager who could win us the EurosIlliberal land: Hungary’s empire of ideas‘A relentless, destructive energy’: inside the trial of Constance Marten and Mark GordonListen to the Retreat from Kabul parts One and Two**Join us at the News Meeting Live HEREFollow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Producer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore, Executive Producer To find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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 climate politics full of hot air? What’s next for the government’s Prevent scheme? What’s behind falling vaccine rates in some parts of the country? Rebecca Moore is joined by a trio of Observer reporters: Whitehall editor Cat Neilan, Senior Audio Producer Katie Gunning and Senior Writer Francisco Garcia.You can read Rebecca’s Must Read HEREAnd you can read Francisco’s Must Read HERE**Join us at the News Meeting Live: LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with ITV News presenter Charlene White.Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, Executive ProducerProducer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Jasper Corbett, Head of AudioTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.

Chloe Hadjimatheou, an investigative reporter for The Observer, and Alexi Mostrous, the investigations editor, delve into the controversy surrounding the bestselling memoir, The Salt Path. They discuss the allegations of authenticity regarding the author's experiences with homelessness and the literary implications of such discrepancies. The podcast also examines the emotional resonance of the memoir's claims on health, public reactions, and the ethical dilemmas of portraying personal narratives. Their insights shed light on the complexities of truth in memoir storytelling.

Are Britain and France on the cusp of yet another agreement over small boats? Could the Texan floods have been prevented? Can women trust the justice system? Rebecca Moore is joined by Observer reporters Phoebe Davies and Serena Cesareo, and the journalist and author Jenny Evans, whose book Don’t Let It Break You, Honey details her experience being assaulted by a high profile figure, and her subsequent fight to find out why details of her ordeal made it into the tabloids. You can buy Don’t Let It Break You, Honey HERE**Join us at the News Meeting Live: LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with ITV News presenter Charlene White.Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, Executive ProducerProducer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Jasper Corbett, Head of AudioTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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 the case to prosecute rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs fail? Who’s to blame for Rachel Reeve’s terrible week? Should kids be taught to read faster? Giles Whittell is joined by a trio of Observer reporters. Cat Neilan is the Whitehall Editor, Vanessa Thorpe is the Media and Arts reporter and Stephen Armstrong, who has been covering the Diddy trial for the paper. **Join us at the News Meeting Live: LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with Charlene White and Kehinde Andrews Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Listen to Stephen’s episode of the Sensemaker about the Diddy Trial here https://tinyurl.com/ysz3s2dy Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The ObserverProducer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Rebecca MooreTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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.