Media Minded by ShoutOut UK

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts In this episode, we spotlight the CSOs and the strategies they employ in the fight against radicalisation. We discuss how CSOs can adapt existing mechanisms and strategies to address extremists’ changing recruitment and disinformation tactics amid the complex economic, political, and social/cultural challenges they face on the front lines, from bandi...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts In this episode, we tackle the crucial issue of counter-terrorism and delve into the question: “What can we do to prevent and combat radicalization?” This episode provides  a comprehensive exploration of effective strategies and initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of radicalization. Guided by people and organisations working i...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts Nigeria was named one of the 20 most dangerous countries to visit in 2024… and not just because of terrorism. While terrorist groups are the biggest security threat in Nigeria’s Northeast, other parts of the country are embroiled in violent conflicts of their own. In the Northwest, gangs of “bandits” execute widespread killings, kidnappings, sexual v...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts Why can’t governments catch terrorists? How do terrorists always stay one step ahead? In this episode of the podcast series, we dive into how violent extremist organisations wield and capitalise on emerging technology to propagate their harmful narratives, organise attacks, and recruit new members. Experts and on-the-ground organisations pick apart t...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts They’re responsible for propping up dictators, carrying out the bidding of military juntas, and supporting coups. They leave death and destruction in their wake, accused of massacring populations and exploiting local communities. What is the infamous Wagner Group? The Kremlin-linked private military company, recently rebranded as the Africa Corps, ha...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts Is West Africa turning against Democracy? Following recent coups in Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali, new governments and supporters have soundly rejected Western influence, expelling French diplomats from the countries and waving Russian flags at political rallies. In this episode, journalists take us to Nigeria, where violent extremist organis...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts Boko Haram is one of Africa’s most deadly and infamous terrorist groups , which garnered worldwide attention and uproar in the early 2010s for a slew of bombings that killed hundreds of people at a time and the kidnapping of over 200 school girls in Nigeria’s northeast. The name Boko Haram literally translates to “Western education is forbidden...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts In this fascinating episode, we enter the mind of a terrorist. What makes them commit violent acts and adopt radical ideologies? How do they justify the killing of innocent people? What transforms the everyman, or woman, into a terrorist? Psychologists and counter extremism experts weigh in on the key factors that contribute to the allure of misinfor...

Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts TuneIn Podcasts This special live episode of Media Minded takes a deep dive into NATO’s role in the Ukraine crisis. The in-person panel discussion facilitates a conversation between sector experts, academics, and individuals working in NATO, discussing the recent war of aggression against Ukraine. With the Russian Federation sponsoring disinformation on an unprecede...

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused the attention of many to the ongoing challenges of disinformation, propaganda and misinformation and the potential harm it can inflict . Disinformation seeks to deepen divisions within and between Allied nations, and to undermine people’s confidence in elected governments. In order to counteract this, NATO publicly refutes false claims, debunks the main disinforma...

How does NATO communicate with the public in order to promote dialogue around security? As an intergovernmental organization that spans across 30 countries, harmonising all public diplomacy activities and coordinating communication activities NATO-wide is of utmost importance. To help us understand how NATO’s information activities work, we are joined by Piers Cazalet, the Head of Press and Media...

From 5G coronavirus beliefs to age old antisemitic tropes, it often feels like we are witnessing the rapid spread and dissemination of conspiracy theories online, with very real offline consequences. Putting out these digital wildfires before they take hold is both vital and necessary, especially in our social media dominated and hyper-connected world. Our final episode of this season attempts to...

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of non-state actors, the face of warfare has evolved considerably. To adapt to these changes, NATO has developed a unique and robust set of political and military capabilities to address the full spectrum of crises – before, during and after conflicts. In today’s episode, we look at NATO’s historic contributions to global security, as well as exam...

Not too long ago, on January 6 2021, swarms of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to win back the presidential election. A large number of those who took part in the insurrection were staunch believers in QAnon, a conspiracy theory that believes President Trump is a hero safeguarding the world from Satan-worshipping pedophiles, Democrat politicians and Hollywood celebrities. Thi...

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is an ever-expanding Alliance and is currently made up of 30 independent member states. Even so, consensus decision-making is a fundamental principle of NATO and has remained so since its creation in 1949. In today’s episode, we speak to Sir Adam Thomas KCMG, the Director of the European Leadership Network (ELN) since November 2016. Before joining the...

Does the UK have a policing issue? In recent years, there have been reports of ongoing problems within the police service, including the increased use of stop and search on minority communities, the use of discriminatory language in both public and private spaces, and the strip searches carried out on children. These systemic failings have led to public mistrust of law enforcement; the very people...

Contemporary threats faced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisaton (NATO) have changed substantially, and considering Russia’s bellicose international stance, well-documented election meddling, and invasion of Ukraine, it is crucial for the Alliance to ensure its unity and resilience. In this first episode, we develop an understanding of how NATO works, its history and how it promotes democracy a...

The killing of George Floyd, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for eight minutes and forty six seconds spurred a wave of anger and protests across America and the globe. These demonstrations were an expression of outrage for the blaring racial gap in America and the many ways in which it manifests today –– from housing discrimination to police brutality. In toda...

Taken from the sci-fi classic, The Matrix, the metaphor of the red pill has taken on new meaning within the incel community. It has given rise to the extreme, fatalistic Black Pill; a philosophy that labels women as shallow creatures who are only interested in the most attractive men. The incel community, alongside Men’s Rights Groups and Pick Up Artists, are insular and radical in their ideology...

“All human beings share an equal capacity to harm or to heal; once we start to convince ourselves otherwise, we’re setting the stage for violence.” In this special edition of the Media Minded podcast on antisemitism, which took place in-person at the US Embassy in London, we were joined by two former far-right members, Arno Michaelis and Nigel Bromage. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Arno Michaelis...

“Demography is destiny.” On May 14th 2022, 18-year old Payton Gendron killed 10 people and injured three others inside a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Eleven of the thirteen victims either killed or injured were Black. This was not a mere coincidence; earlier, Gendron posted a 180-page manifesto online repeatedly referencing the “great replacement theory” and asserting that white people...

In 2014, the internet hate campaign, known as the #Gamergate scandal, infiltrated the forums of 4chan to the comment threads of Twitter. Brianna Wu, a well-known software engineer and guest on today’s episode, was thrust into the centre of the Gamergate saga following her outspoken criticism of the movement. We discuss how this fringe group coalesced into a legitimate movement, how law enforcement...

From cult-hopping to exorcisms, leaving a cult is not a simple feat. In Part 2 of this episode on cultism, we pick up our discussion with ex-cult member Richard Turner, kicking off from the moment he left his Church group to the euphoria he felt when the group was investigated by Channel 4 News. His experience is aided by the insight of David Robertson, an expert in conspiracy theories, on how the...

What goes on inside a cult, and the minds of those who join them? Matteo speaks to Richard Turner, an ex-cult member turned councilor, on how he descended into a world of deceit and deception. He recounts his experience, from being love-bombed to being surveilled by Church leaders. David Robertson, a senior lecturer at Open University, supplements this discussion with his insight into how vulnerab...

Where did the ‘money-hungry’ Jewish stereotype originate?   How have tropes like these evolved?  Matteo speaks to antisemitism expert William Brustein about the history of antisemitism – from its roots in the 12th Century, to its development in the 1930s, and how it materialises today.  Matteo hones in on contemporary discussions with veteran journalist Dave Schechter, who reveals his haunti...