Long Reads

The Chinese company Gotion's EV battery plan was the kind of big, ambitious, the U.S. economy — and the struggling small town of Big Rapids — needed. But that’s not how some locals saw it. In this narrated feature Rest of World explores how ambitious executives at Gotion wanted to join America’s EV gold rush, but were met with geopolitics in rural Michigan, USA. Written by Viola Zhou. Narrated by...

Big AI companies like Google, Meta, OpenAI and Amazon, have come out hard against comprehensive regulatory efforts in the West — but are receiving a warm welcome from leaders in many other countries. This episode from Rest of World uses behind-the-scenes reporting from local journalists in India, South Africa, and Brazil, to give an in-depth look at the global struggle over how to regulate AI. Wri...

WhatsApp is already the world’s most widely used messaging app. Meta wants it to be a lot more. WhatsApp is the world’s most widely used messaging app, with 2 billion daily users, who send 100 billion messages every day in 60 languages across 180 countries. This feature takes an in-depth look at how it grew so big and Meta's plan for what comes next. Written by Issie Lapowsky. Narrated by Jane Sei...

In this episode, Rest of World explores how far-right Hindu nationalists use WhatsApp to target Christian families when they’re most vulnerable — by preventing them from burying their dead. Written by Parth MN. Additional reporting by Durga M Sengupta. Narrated by Mithila Phadke. Original story: https://restofworld.org/2024/whatsapp-intimidation-forced-conversion-targets-christians-india/

Amid economic, political, and environmental uncertainty, Pakistanis are increasingly seeking guidance from digital astrologers for a sense of reassurance. In this narrated feature, Rest of World profiles celebrity astrologers who are revitalizing the practice in one of the world’s most populous Muslim nations, using their growing platforms to advocate for astrology’s place in Islam. Written by M....

Amid a life of upheaval and poverty, Jeffter Wekesa tried and failed to found three churches in Kenya. Then he started preaching on TikTok, and his fortunes changed. In this episode, Rest of World takes you inside the emerging virtual-preaching economy in internet-obsessed Kenya. Livestream churches — backed by viewer donations — are increasingly popular. Is this the future of religion, or just a...

For years, Mauricio Bustos used his YouTube channel to try and break into the music industry. Then he discovered AI. Overnight, he could rap like Bad Bunny and sing like Justin Bieber. He went viral. Now, he’s at the forefront of a global debate: Is AI art really art? Written by Charis McGowan. Narrated by Daniela Dib. Original story: https://restofworld.org/2024/ai-song-flowgpt-bad-bunny/

Los Angeles-based Trilogy Media took “scambaiting” to a new level, but some claim they’re gaining viral fame at others’ expense. In this story from our archive, Rest of World , profiles the Trilogy Media YouTubers who travel from L.A. to India to harass call center scammers. They release dozens of cockroaches in their office and secretly film the whole prank via hacked security cameras. Did they t...

The average age for delivery workers is 29 and the average age for ride-hailing drivers is 36, but many older individuals are turning to gig work, too. Rest of World spoke to 52 workers above the age of 50 who ventured into gig work to keep up with rising living costs or because they cannot find employment elsewhere. As more and more workers transition to informal gig employment and populations ag...

As millions of Indians vote, there’s one platform most of them will turn to for information: WhatsApp. And no one controls the political narrative on WhatsApp like the BJP, the ruling party helmed by Prime Minister Modi. In partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Digital Witness Lab, Rest of World spent several months in northern India to explore how the BJP turned its WhatsAp...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was slated to open a plant in Phoenix, Arizona in 2024. It aimed to bring thousands of jobs, but the expansion hasn’t taken off. In this story, Rest of World follows the experience of an American engineer, Bruce, as well as others employed by TSMC, and explores how missed deadlines and tension among Taiwanese and American coworkers are plaguing the...

Mass protests used to offer a degree of safety in numbers. Facial recognition technology changes the equation. This story explores how thanks to new facial recognition technology, protesters’ safety in numbers is becoming a thing of the past. We take a look at three case studies — in Russia, India, and Iran — to show the proliferation of facial recognition as a tool to control and curtail protest....

Generación Zoe’s Leonardo Cositorto was charged with fraud in Argentina in April 2022. His and staff arrests have users asking, “¿Qué pasó con generacion Zoe?” In this feature from our archive, Rest of World visits Cositorto as he awaits trial in prison, we speak with some of his loyal followers and alleged victims, and chart the rise and fall of Generación Zoe, the “educational and resource-creat...

From toxic skies to health hazards: Rest of World measured air quality for riders in Lahore, New Delhi, and Dhaka. The results were devastating. Pollution is worsening in South Asia’s major cities, but few occupations face more risk than gig riders. Many have no options for alternate work, and receive little help from employers. we spoke to 25 gig workers in Lahore, New Delhi, and Dhaka, all of wh...

In this feature from our archive, Rest of World follows the story of exotic animal trader as he capitalizes on Vietnam's growing digital connectivity — and Facebook’s negligence — to build an online wildlife trafficking empire, and the people trying to bring him down. Written by Ashley Lampard. Narrated by Jane Seidel. Original story: https://restofworld.org/2021/the-fall-of-the-king-of-squirr...

Foxconn is flying engineers from China to India to train the next generation of iPhone builders. But both the Chinese engineers and Indian assembly line workers describe a serious culture clash. In this episode, Rest of World follows the development and expansion of a new iPhone factory in India, as Foxconn manufactures the iPhone 15 outside of China for the first time. We spoke with two dozen ass...

What happens to cities when they become digital nomad hotspots? In this narrated feature, Rest of World looks at how the remote work revolution is changing life in places like Medellín and Bali. Written by Stephen Witt. Narrated by Victoria Turk. Original story: https://restofworld.org/2023/digital-nomads-visa-pricing-out-locals/