The News Meeting

What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise editor James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Tortoise editors Basia Cummings, Jeevan Vasagar and Giles Whittell. They discuss the risk of collapsing schools, an EU report on Kremlin disinformation and why the parents of Martha Mills, who died from sepsis, are campaigning for patients to have the rig...

What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise editor James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Ceri Thomas and Giles Whittell, and the Financial Times’s US Financial editor Brooke Masters.  They discuss the ULEZ expansion, Gina Raimondo’s trip to China and massive pandemic relief fraud. What do you think should lead the news? Email your storie...

What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise editor James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Jess Winch, Keith Blackmore and former culture secretary Ben Bradshaw who used to be the BBC’s Berlin correspondent. The team discuss the thefts from the British Museum, Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood u-turn and the Republican presidential candidates...

In this special episode of The News Meeting the team discuss what Yevgeny Prigozhin’s reported death means for Vladimir Putin, the Wagner Group, Ukraine and the West. James Harding is joined by Tortoise editors Giles Whittell, who was Moscow correspondent for The Times, and Basia Cummings, who reported on Prigozhin for an episode of the Slow Newscast called Wagner’s war. You can listen to that epi...

What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise editor James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Keith Blackmore, Cat Neilan and Giles Whitell. The team discuss the Women’s World Cup final, the sentencing of Lucy Letby and Donald Trump’s refusal to attend the first Republican primary debate.  What do you think should lead the news? Email your st...

What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise editor James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Alexi Mostrous, Cat Neilan and former US ambassador Matthew Barzun. The team discuss the ongoing impact of the PSNI data breach, Elon Musk’s unchecked power and faltering efforts to give Afghan refugees certainty about their new lives in the US.  Wha...

What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise editor James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Basia Cummings, Giles Whittell and Will Brown. The team discuss whether there could be military intervention in Niger, King Charles’s 45% pay rise and the mountaineers criticised for continuing their ascent after finding a dying guide. What do you think s...

What should lead the news? Three people pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise editor James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Giles Whittell, Jess Winch and special guest Zelda Perkins. Zelda was Harvey Weinstein’s personal assistant and is now a campaigner. She was one of the first women to break a non-disclosure agreement after she signed one with Harvey Weinstein. She’s the c...

What should lead the news? Three journalists pitch the story they think matters most to James Harding. In this episode he’s joined by Basia Cummings, Jeevan Vasagar and Jess Winch. They discuss the jailing of Imran Khan in Pakistan, two Canadian men who discovered they were switched at birth and dozens of swimmers getting sick at the world triathlon championship. James also wonders what to make of...

Giles Whittell and the team discuss the latest charges against Donald Trump, assisted dying and wild camping returning to Dartmoor. What should lead the news? Three journalists pitch the story they think matters most to Giles Whittell. They discuss the latest charges against Donald Trump, assisted dying and wild camping returning to Dartmoor. We also hear from a listener about our coverage of the...

What should lead the news? Three journalists pitch the story they think matters most to Liz Moseley.  They discuss Rishi Sunak’s new carbon capture scheme in the North Sea, the coup in Niger and the death of Rianna Cleary’s baby in prison. Get in touch to tell us about the stories we missed. Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com . The producer was Rebecca Moore and the executive producer was Le...

What should lead the news? Three journalists pitch the story they think matters most to Tortoise's deputy editor Giles Whittell. They discuss a new law that curtails the power of Israel's Supreme Court, Nigel Farage’s war on Coutts and whether the Gulf Stream will really collapse by 2025. They also find time to talk about the US congressional hearings on UFOs. Get in touch to tell us about the sto...

In this episode Liz Moseley is in the editor’s chair. She’s joined by Tortoise editors Jess Winch, Cat Neilan and Ceri Thomas. They discuss the Russian attack that damaged Odesa cathedral, the fallout from last week’s by-elections and shocking failures at a young offender institution. Get in touch to tell us about the story you think should lead the news. Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com . The...

In this episode, recorded in front of an audience in the Tortoise newsroom, James Harding is joined by Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff, Liz Moseley and Katie Gunning.  The team discusses the row within Labour over Keir Starmer’s refusal to scrap the two-child benefit cap, Russia's withdrawal from the deal allowing Ukraine to safely export grain through the Black Sea, and the ongoing scandal...

The team discusses the record-breaking heatwave in southern Europe, potential plans to scrap inheritance tax, and why Hollywood’s actors and writers are going on strike. James Harding also reflects on The Sun’s coverage of the Huw Edwards allegations. Get in touch to tell us about the story you think should lead the news. Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com . The producer was Rebecca Moore and the...

Basia Cummings is in the editor’s chair. She’s joined by Cat Neilan, Claudia Williams and Stephen Armstrong who pitch rising mortgage rates, migrant boats missing in the Atlantic and catastrophic weather in the US. Get in touch to tell us about the story you think should lead the news. Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com . The producer was Rebecca Moore and the executive producer was Lewis Vickers...

In this special episode James Harding explores why the media is reluctant to name the BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager for explicit images. He’s joined by Pia Sarma, editorial legal director at Times newspapers, and former BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw. Get in touch to tell us about the story you think should lead the news. Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com . For the premiu...

Before founding Tortoise James Harding was head of BBC News. In this episode he’s joined by journalists Liz Moseley, Will Brown and Ceri Thomas, a former editor of Radio 4’s Today programme, to discuss the scandal surrounding a BBC presenter and what it means for the corporation.  They also cover the US government’s decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine, and the links between the NHS and...

The team discusses Meta launching Threads to challenge Elon Musk’s Twitter, the billboard advertising an explicit OnlyFans account that sparked complaints and the UK edging closer to rejoining the EU’s Horizon programme. Get in touch to tell us about the story you think should lead the news. Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com . For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journal...

In our first Monday episode the team discusses the violence that has erupted in France, Ukraine's faltering counteroffensive and the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn race-based college admissions. Listen to 'Into The Dirt', Tortoise's new investigative series,  here . Get in touch to tell us about the story you think should lead the news. Email  newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com . For...

James Harding is joined by Tortoise journalists Basia Cummings, Claudia Williams and Cat Neilan. They discuss Russia after the failed Wagner rebellion, the politics of water amid fears that Thames Water could collapse, and a coroner’s ruling that Nicola Bulley’s death was accidental. Get in touch and tell us about the story you think should lead the news. Email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com. Read...

James Harding is joined by Tortoise editors Jess Winch, Liz Moseley and Giles Whittell. In this episode they discuss the hunt for the missing Titan submersible, British children being shorter than their international peers and the Bank of England’s latest hike in interest rates. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For ear...

James Harding is joined by Tortoise editors Basia Cummings, Cat Neilan and Giles Whittell. In this episode they discuss a British woman jailed for using abortion pills, the El Niño effect in the Panama Canal and Boris Johnson’s honour’s list. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access, subscribe to T...

In this episode, recorded at Kite Festival on Sunday 11th June, James Harding is joined on stage by Tortoise editors Alexi Mostrous, Basia Cummings and Jeevan Vasagar. Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism. For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year. As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live even...

James Harding is joined by Tortoise editors Jess Winch and Giles Whittell, and Tortoise chairman Matthew Barzun who was US ambassador to London. In this episode they discuss the Kakhovka dam, the real difference between the economic policies of major political parties and golf’s PGA Tour merging with its Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf. Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism. For early acce...