Media Storm

Warning: Some strong language Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists trying to make an imperfect industry a little bit less so, about their noble goals and - you guessed it - the hypocrisies and insecurities that undermine them! Brought to you by The Guilty Feminist, every other...

Off-label antibiotics ordered from Hong Kong, bacteriophages cultivated in Georgia, bladder fulguration undergone in Turkey - these are some of the lengths countless women are resorting to in desperate bids to rid themselves of chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). In March, the NHS finally recognised the existence of chronic UTI, a debilitating condition affecting 1.7 million people - mostly w...

Media Storm is back next week! Helena and Mathilda take on the mainstream media and embark on new investigations that put people with lived experience back at the centre of the story. This season takes listeners from London and Berlin, to the frontlines of the climate crisis, to the depths of the dark web, in its quest to seek out unheard voices. Polyamory, abortion, paedophilia, radicalisation… b...

We won a Silver ARIA Award for Best Speech Presenters!  In this bonus episode we recount our experiences of awards night, who we met, what it was like to be in a category with radio giant nominees (hello imposter syndrome!), and what we'll be listening to next.  We also wanted to say a huge thank you to the people who came on Media Storm series one and let us platform their insights and experience...

The episode is hosted by Deborah Frances-White (@DeborahFW) with guests Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia). Get in touch Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/mediastormpod or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod or Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mediastormpod like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MediaStormPod send us an email mediastormpodcas...

After looking at the prevalence of ableism in UK workplaces and the lack of legal recourse for those affected in last week’s episode, Media Storm is handing the mic - for the final instalment of this season - to some of its sources, who share with listeners ways to help. Whether you are an employer or colleague, here are some of dos and do NOTs to help you be a better ally to disabled and chronica...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia. Warning: Some swearing Disabled workers are over twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled workers — even not counting those who are ‘economically inactive’ due to health or other reasons. Countless testimonies point to ableism at every stage of the employment game, from applying to jobs to being made redundant. And yet legally-s...

Laws that criminalise certain aspects of sex work force people into unsafe, unregulated environments, where they become even more vulnerable. Last week, on International Women’s Day, we joined the Sex/Work Strike and heard the rallying cry from protestors campaigning for the full decriminalisation of sex work. But what might a 'decriminalised future' look like? This week, Media Storm heads to a ne...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia.  Warning: Some strong language and references to sex Transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2022/07/06/1-9-sex-workers-ignored-and-under-threat/ Online or offline, the stigma that comes with being a sex worker is pervasive. But sex work is not just stigmatised - it's criminalised. Laws that ban certain aspects of sex work force worke...

Since 1971, the US has led a global campaign to criminalise and eradicate certain psychoactive substances: this is known as the war on drugs. On last week’s episode of Media Storm, we looked at the racialised impact of this punitive policy, which - despite aiming for the eradication of drugs - has seen drug-related deaths increase and drug use remain commonplace.  So if the war on drugs has failed...

Read the transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2022/03/17/1-8-the-uks-war-on-drugs-politics-and-prohibition/ Warning: Strong language, drug use ‘DRUG TRAGEDY’, ‘DRUG CRIME’, ‘DRUG FEARS’— these are common tabloid staples. But are drugs the problem? Or is it in fact the war on drugs? Data that links drug use to crime and death rates are often used to justify militant political crackdowns. But h...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia Bonus Episode: Homelessness and how to help, by people who've been there Last episode, Media Storm investigated homelessness behind closed doors: the hidden figures in hostels, cafes, on nightbuses or couch-surfing. This week, we look at the homelessness on our streets: the people we can see, how they get treated, and what we the public...

Warning: Strong language Official homelessness statistics are a fraction of the numbers that charities claim to exist. Is someone sugarcoating the data? Is it a genuine mistake? Or are we looking in wrong places? With fines and sentences for sleeping on the streets, the UK and many other countries make no apologies for targeting rough sleeping. Temporary accommodation facilities earn private contr...

Content warning: Eating disorders "New Year, New You": that’s the message you've probably heard in the mainstream media for the last month. On last week’s episode Fatphobia: Healthcare by Size, we dissected how the mainstream news media helps the diet industry profit off of our insecurities. But - the conversation doesn’t end here, and that’s because fatphobia doesn’t affect all plus-size people i...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia Read the transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2022/02/08/1-6-fatphobia-healthcare-by-size-with-stephanie-yeboah-and-essie-dennis/ Content warning: Fatphobia, disordered eating Being told to lose weight is almost unavoidable. The news, TV shows, films, adverts and your family & friends mostly prescribe to the same school of thought:...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia If you’ve read UK news over the past year, you’ll likely have heard of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill making its way through Parliament. It’s a "tough-on-crime" piece of policy - a phrase the government use readily. And it’s back in the headlines this week, as The House of Lords voted against its plans to clamp down on dis...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia Read the transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2022/02/07/1-5-criminal-justice-does-prison-work-with-the-secret-barrister-and-paula-harriott/ Plans to lock up 20,000 new prisoners, a Home Secretary who wants criminals to “literally feel terror”, and the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe… This is the UK’s ‘tough on crime’ m...

Media Storm will be back with more episodes on Thursday 13 January. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia Content warning: Suicide, self-harm Episode 1.4: Transgender healthcare: A waiting game - with Laura Blake and Shivani Dave  Read the transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2021/12/30/1-4-transgender-healthcare-a-waiting-game/ The mainstream media might have us all thinking changing genders is a piece of cake - that hormones are being...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia Content warning: Rape, sexual violence, FGM Episode 1.3: Rape Justice: What happens to the 98%? - with Leyla Hussein and Gina Martin Read the transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2021/12/15/1-3-rape-justice-what-happens-to-the-98/ Authorities declined to reveal the true rape conviction figures in a Freedom of Information request by...

Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia Episode 1.2 Pandemic of hate: We need to talk about anti-Asian abuse - with Zing Tsjeng and Hussein Kesvani Transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2021/12/13/1-2-pandemic-of-hate-we-need-to-talk-about-anti-asian-abuse/ With reports anti-Asian hate speech surged by 1,662% during the pandemic, and many accounts of rising hate crimes aga...

Transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2021/11/29/1-1-eldorado-why-do-refugees-love-the-uk/ With headlines reporting ‘record numbers of migrants’ reaching the UK in dinghies, Media Storm heads across the Channel to find out why they’re coming. Reports this week show the government declined a Freedom of Information request to reveal their research on this very topic. It raises questions over the...

Media Storm is a new podcast from The House of the Guilty Feminist. Episode 0. Deborah Frances-White Read the transcript: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2021/11/24/0-deborah-frances-white-meets-mathilda-and-helena/ Mathilda and Helena talk to Deborah about their new podcast, what it aims to do and how they came up with the idea. Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/helenawadia https://twitter.c...

Media Storm is the new podcast from The House of the Guilty Feminist Where fact-checking meets fun, reporting meets road-trip and the mainstream media meets its match, Media Storm is a news podcast that starts with the people who are normally asked last. "Migrants", "criminals" and "sex workers" are some of the biggest stars in the headlines, yet we rarely actually hear from them. There’s no right...