Media Storm

Warning: This episode contains mentions of mental illness, suicide, and self-harm. Recently, doctors have recognised a strange phenomenon: patients turning up with mental health diagnoses in hand. And they all have something in common: social media. A search of the hashtag #depression on Instagram returns more than 25.3 million posts. On TikTok, the hashtag #BPD (borderline personality disorder) h...

Coming to you from the London Podcast Festival: The Guilty Feminist presents Media Storm’s debut show, live from King’s Place! Presented by journalists Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia, Media Storm is a news podcast that starts with the people who are normally asked last. From migrants to sex workers, trans to indigenous people, convicted criminals to Romani communities— Media Storm puts people...

Warning: Some strong language and reference to suicide  We often think of ‘progress’ as an enemy of ‘prejudice’, but when it comes to prejudice towards Gypsy, Roma and Travellers, the opposite is true. YouGov polling shows a decline in British society’s attitudes towards their nomadic members, as the UN flags a rise in hate speech and violence towards the ethnic minority across Europe. Why is this...

Warning: Strong language and frank discussions about sex Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists and activists trying to make their imperfect industries a little bit less so, about their noble goals and - you guessed it - the hypocrisies and insecurities that undermine them! Broug...

Come to Media Storm's live show at the London Podcast Festival! 18th September, 7pm TICKETS HERE: kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm/  Most people will get the most common STI at some point in their life. It's called human papillomavirus, or HPV, and has more than 100 different strains. Some strains of the virus cause genital warts, and some cause abnormal cell changes that can lead to ca...

Indigenous peoples who live off the land are often the first affected by climate change, just as they are the last to cause it. But what is often told as a story of injustice should be a story of leadership. Indigenous communities around the world have been protecting Mother Earth for centuries. They may be the most qualified to fight climate change— yet they are systematically excluded from polic...

Warning: References to stillbirth WATCH MEDIA STORM’S DEBUT LIVE RECORDING AT KING’S PLACE, 17/09, 7PM: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/media-storm/ Scorching heatwaves and ‘red weather warnings’ have brought climate change onto our doorstep and into our headlines. But hidden from view - be it by distance, dense jungles or disinformation - the effects of the eco-disaster have already t...

Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists and activists trying to make their imperfect industries 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 Thursday. T...

Warning: In-depth talk about eating disorders, exercise addiction and references to suicide.  Read the transcript here: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2022/08/30/2-4-masculinity-and-body-image-why-dont-men-seek-help-with-scottee/ Recent analysis from the Royal College of Psychiatrists has revealed that hospital admissions for people with eating disorders have risen 84% in the last five years - with...

Bonus episode - This Is How You Do It: Jamie Wareham 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...

Warning: References to child sexual abuse and pornography Read the transcript here: https://mediastormpodcast.com/2022/08/08/2-3-unoffending-pedophiles-clinical-or-criminal/ How can we prevent pedophilic acts from happening? Pedophilia is a clinical disorder before it becomes a criminal act. It's estimated to affect as many as 1-5% of the global male population. Does our failure to acknowledge its...

Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists and activists 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 Thursday. Today'...

Across the pond, the United States Supreme Court made the decision to overturn Roe v Wade, meaning 33 million women in America were stripped of the right to an abortion. Many US states have already introduced new restrictions on abortion. Women and people who need abortions are having to travel further, often across state borders, and pay more. As expected, this ban will affect the most marginalis...

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...