My Six Favourite Podcasts

A person, probably a woman, talking and smiling into
a generic microphone. Little does she know that she is
the cover image for a post on my blog

I don’t listen to much music but I spend a lot of time on public transport and walking around in London. What a predicament! So, instead of listening to traffic or attempting to make conversation with strangers on the tube, I opt to listen to some of the many podcasts that I’m subscribed to. Here are my six favourites. 

(Note: From my choices, I think it will become quite clear what my interests are)


Commons People
This is The Huffington Post’s weekly politics podcast. It is light-hearted, fun, and the presenters are humorous but knowledgeable. Every episode, after discussion of the top news stories, there is a quiz about a topic that has been relevant in the past week. My favourites quizzes from previous episodes are: ‘Grammar or Bog-standard’, where the journalists needed to try and guess whether said politicians attended grammar, state, or private schools. And the ‘Morgan or Less Than’ quiz, where the journalists (with the help of Heidi Allen MP) needed to guess whether said politicians had attended more or less fringe events than Nicky Morgan at the Conservative Party conference… (Now I write this, I realise just how nerdy it sounds)



Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast
This witty podcast hosted by QI elf and Private Eye writer Andrew Hunter Murray is my favourite podcast. Each episode features discussions on politics, investigative journalism, or Private Eye culture to produce a truly fascinating listen. Highlights, for me, include the special episode commemorating Ian Hislop’s 30 years as editor, the episode about the Panama Papers, and the episode on revolving doors in politics. Wry humour and perspicacious politics journalism are a winning combination.

The Weeds
The Weeds is a Vox.com podcast hosted by journalists Ezra Klein, Sarah Kliff, and Matthew Yglesias. In each episode, they dive deep into US policy and politics. The episodes are very thorough and are great if you're interested in more niche US political news.

Coffee House Shots
One of The Spectator’s many podcasts is this short, irregularly occurring one called ‘Coffee House Shots’. Compared to the rest, this is a relatively short podcast yet it manages to summarise and offer analysis on important political events that have happened lately. In recent episodes, Isabel Hardman and co have discussed the UK Supreme Court’s Brexit ruling, Theresa May’s ‘shared society’ speech, and the battle for press freedom. 



Chips with everything
Chips with everything is a technology podcast from The Guardian. It includes the kind of high quality content you would expect from The Guardian. Notable discussions from recent episodes include an interview with the former deputy social media director for the Hillary Clinton campaign and a feature on how the Y2K bug came about. I’d recommend this podcast for anyone who has even a vague interest in technology or technology culture as they cover a wide range of topics. 



Sound Show
Sound Show is a podcast birthed from Joshua Topolsky’s new culture news website ‘The Outline’. This podcast, hosted by sound director John Lagomarsino, is a joy to listen to. Enthralling content and unbeatable sound quality go hand in hand to make this podcast a pleasure for my ears. Just take a listen for yourself:




All podcasts mentioned, plus thousands more, can be found on the Apple Podcasts app and other popular podcast services.

The US media need to improve their Trump coverage

If you’ve dragged yourself out of bed at any point over the last few weeks, you will have heard about the ‘leaked' Russian dossier stating crude things that President Trump allegedly did in Moscow some years ago. Although many news sites admit that it had been on their radar for a while now, they had decided not to publish it because the provenance wasn’t even slightly credible. Enter BuzzFeed. 

BuzzFeed published the dossier and sparked a media frenzy as mainstream news organisations (such as the BBC and CNN) started to report the story too - admittedly, in a more delicate kind of way. In a press conference following the reports, President Trump slammed CNN as “fake news” and wouldn’t take their question whilst he condemned BuzzFeed as a “failing pile of garbage”.
 


CNN has a network that reaches millions of people every day meaning when they lay a blow in to President Trump, it has impact. However, if CNN continue to run with stories with little evidence to support it, the impact of their scrutiny will start to diminish. I use CNN as an example but this is the same for any news organisation which decided to report on the Russian dossier.

As for BuzzFeed, they've always been a lost cause in my eyes. I commend them for being a large part of the investigation that exposed the malpractice at Kids Company and for having such a large network. However, their habit of publishing sketchy stories and then saying “it’s up to the reader to decide whether it is true or not” undermines their status as a news organisation and makes the whole news industry untrustworthy.

Another reason, news organisations in general should clamp down on their coverage of Trump controversies is because none of them stick. He is a snake sliding effortlessly though a field of scandals. Analysis of newspaper headlines after the election showed that Clinton’s consistent criticism was for her deleted emails yet there were dozens of Trump scandals. Muslim-ban-gate, Mexicans-are-rapists-gate, sexual-assault-allegations-gate, women-who-have-abortions-should-be-punished-gate, and grab-them-by-the-pussy-gate - to name a few. 

Chart via Media Matters

The more scrutiny the better, right? Wrong. Unlike Clinton’s deleted emails, most of Trump’s scandals could only be explored superficially because it was only a matter of days before the next one came along. This meant that the significance of Clinton’s deleted email was blown way out of proportion because the coverage spanned many months.

If liberal news organisations are trying to turn Trump voters off Trump, they need to realise that controversies don’t repel his supporters. In fact, they make him appear politically incorrect thus anti-establishment (like what many Americans desire). Instead, news organisations should really start scrutinising his policy decisions. The first steps have already been made to repeal Obamacare which could cause 18 million people to lose health insurance. This is an issue which needs far more attention than what it is getting. By covering this extensively, the liberal media might win over some Trump voters but, more importantly, they would be doing an effective job of holding the President to account.

Credit where credit is due though, Vox is getting a name for itself producing in-depth policy analysis. Just before the Obama administration ended they held an hour-long interview on Obamacare and its future. Plus, they have recently also published pieces on possible Supreme Court nominations, Trump killing the TPP free trade deal, and Trump’s plan to cut Medicade. These are all matters of serious substance which need scrutinising and exploring in order for voters to understand what Trump’s administration is achieving. Sadly, at the moment, not many news organisations are rising to that challenge and instead opt to publish the platitude entertaining scandal stories.

To conclude, although it acts as excellent click-bait, the media should try and report less on the next alleged Trump scandal and, instead, home in on the many executive orders he has been signing this week and what they will mean for the American people. As for BuzzFeed, they should go back to publishing quizzes about which character from Friends I would be – and nothing else.

Sources: Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/17/18-million-would-lose-insurance-in-first-year-of-obamacare-repeal-without-replacement-cbo-report-says/?utm_term=.70853fcd142f,  Media Matters http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/11/04/study-top-newspapers-give-clinton-email-story-more-coverage-all-other-trump-stories/214309

2016: a year in review

President Trump will have worryingly little opposition

There is just less than one month to go until Donald Trump is inaugurated as President of the United States. Many Americans are relying on the system of checks and balances outlined in the US constitution and other forms of scrutiny to protect their civil rights. Also, to prevent Trump from implementing any of the regressive policy ideas he discussed in the campaign. However, I don’t think Trump is going to face many significant obstacles when making any kind of decision as President.

Congress
The Republicans have maintained their majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, making it far easier for Trump to pass legislation – a luxury that Obama only had for two of his eight years.

During the campaign, many Republican Senators refused to endorse Trump however, like almost everything said in the campaign, many are retracting their defiant comments. Now there is a Republican in the White House, they have a chance to make real differences. Congressmen and Senators have nothing to lose by working with Trump; every Trump victory is a victory for them so the Republicans are in a win-win situation.

Supreme Court
Obama spent the last year of his presidency trying to appoint a Liberal by the name of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court following the death of Antonin Scalia in February 2016. Due to Republicans refusing to schedule a hearing for Garland in the Senate, Obama was unsuccessful in his appointment attempt. Trump, on the other hand, should face no problems appointing a Conservative to the court. From what he has said in interviews recently, the judge will likely be pro-life and anti-gay marriage.

It is also likely that Trump will get the chance to appoint further justices to the Supreme Court over the course of his term. The Liberal, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Conservative-leaning Anthony Kennedy are both over 80 years-old. Given the opportunity, Trump will be able to upset the current balance of the Supreme Court and make it lean conservative.

Media
The media industry is currently going through a fake news crisis which is undermining the credibility of even respectable titles. Most of the fake news that goes viral on social media comes from Conservative leaning sources.

Furthermore, Trump supporters are very sceptical of mainstream media. A national Quinnipiac University poll in October revealed that 55% of likely voters said that they think the media is bias against Trump. Furthermore, Trump has spent the last few weeks tweeting almost endlessly about the bias of the mainstream media.

Reports by @CNN that I will be working on The Apprentice during my Presidency, even part time, are ridiculous & untrue - FAKE NEWS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2016

Just watched @NBCNightlyNews - So biased, inaccurate and bad, point after point. Just can't get much worse, although @CNN is right up there!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2016

In the past, the media has had the means to sway public opinion and scrutinise decisions with some weight however nowadays there appears to be a larger trend in people only reading news that they want to believe. Trump is subtly encouraging this because it works in his favour.

Foreign Policy
With regards to foreign policy, Presidents are not subject to the same checks and balances that they are with domestic policy. For example, Trump can press the ‘nuclear button’ or order a military intervention (like what was seen in Vietnam and Iraq) without running it through Congress first. With rumours that the transition from Obama to Trump is chaotic and RealClearPolitics’ Simendinger and Caitlin Huey-Burns describing Trump’s cabinet as “loyalists”, Trump’s ability to make educated and thought-out decisions in times of crisis will be undoubtedly compromised.


There is a well-known phrase in the politics sphere that goes “you can’t do anything in opposition”. Sadly, for the Democrats and liberal media, that is even more true in a time when some opposition - any opposition - would be beneficial for democracy and the future of the US.

The 2016 MacBook Pro is a waste of money

In October, Apple announced an update to the MacBook Pro line. The 13-inch and 15-inch models are now thinner, lighter, and boast a Touch Bar. The Touch Bar sits at the top of the keyboard, replacing the line of function keys, and changes the menu options depending on what app you are in. Many guess this the closest Apple wants to get to creating a touchscreen Mac anytime soon. However, after a month of use, many have deemed it useless. And that is only where the problems with the 2016 MacBook Pro begin.

Dongles
For any computer aimed at professionals to be decent it needs to host a wide variety of ports so it is a versatile device. Apple have however scrapped the USB ports, SD-card reader, HDMI port, and Thunderbolt ports and replaced them all with USB-C ports which are still a rare oddity. Even the MagSafe charger port has gone which is a step backwards for Apple. Numerous times when I’ve tripped on my charger, the magnetic-ended cable has just clicked out of the port rather than sweeping a £1000 laptop onto the floor.

Apple was one of the first computer manufacturers to get rid of the optical disk drive in 2012 and although many found that irritating at the time, it wasn’t the end of the world because there was a trend in people downloading software and media from the internet rather than via a disk. Hardly anyone uses USB-C though so it is a nonsensical move from Apple as hardly any devices are compatible.

The lack of ports has forced many to delve into the ugly world of dongles simply to get their current cameras, chargers, external hard drives, monitors, and leads to work.

Lighter and Thinner
Why are tech companies obsessed with making lighter and thinner devices at the expense of functionality and battery life? If you want a lightweight MacBook, get the new so-called 'MacBook’ or MacBook Air. I, like many, would rather have a slightly heftier MacBook Pro though as long as it means getting a longer battery life, a deeper keyboard, and a more diverse range of ports. The old MacBook Pros are convenient because they are the sweet spot between the power and capabilities of an iMac but the portability of a MacBook Air. The new 2016 MacBook Pro compromises too much.

Touch Bar
The new Touch Bar is a great feature if you’re part of Apple’s marketing team as it makes the new MacBook appear special and your job easy, but, to everyone else, it's just an expensive gimmick. All the features and options you need already on screen so you can just use your mouse to click on them. The Touch Bar interface has been under scrutiny as well. On some menus you scroll, others swipe, and on others you press through menus. There is no uniform interactive language.

The only thing worse than a Mac with a Touch Bar is the prospect of a Mac with a touchscreen. But that, my friend, is a rant for another day.

Fashion
Half of the people who own MacBooks don’t even need them; a £300 Windows PC would be suffice for their word processing and internet browsing. So why do so many people own a MacBook? It’s a fashion statement. A key part of the appeal is the luminous Apple logo on the rear of the screen and the iconic start up chime. However, on the 2016 MacBook, in attempt to remove everything that people liked about MacBooks, Apple has removed both of these quirks. The Apple logo is still on the back but it is only reflective and the laptop now turns on silently.

Brexit
And here is the cherry on the top: it costs £500 more in the UK! Apple have raised their MacBook prices everywhere but many say that Britain has been subject to the steepest increase because of Brexit and the economic uncertainty that brings.


Overall, if you’re considering getting a 2016 new MacBook Pro, consider ye olde 2015 MacBook Pros first. They are just as powerful, have a battery just as long, but come with more ports, and a light up Apple badge. You should also ask yourself if you really need a MacBook Pro at all. Lenovo, Microsoft, Dell and HP all have exciting, practical laptops for the same price or cheaper that are just as good.


Sources
The Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/articles/macbook-pro-first-look-how-far-can-the-touch-bar-go-1477614296?mod=ST1
The Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/apple-macbook-pro-price-brexit-uk-pound-value-cost-rise-a7384396.html
Casey Neistat’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyNeistat/status/803100297916805120

AUDIO: Trump has won. Now what?

References (in order of mention)
'Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Is This Year's Sexiest Man Alive!' from People Magazine http://people.com/celebrity/sexiest-man-alive-2016-dwayne-johnson-the-rock/
'Bernie Sanders: Donald Trump harnessed anti-establishment anger' from The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/10/bernie-sanders-donald-trump-harnessed-anti-establishment-anger
'Hillary Clinton Made the Same Darn Mistake as Al Gore' from History News Network http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/164466
'Felony disenfranchisement: The untold story of the 2016 election' from Salon http://www.salon.com/2016/11/28/felony-disenfranchisement-the-untold-story-of-the-2016-election_partner/
'@transition2017 update and policy plans for the first 100 days' from Donald J Trump's Twitter https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/800850810490023937
'Barron Trump looks dazed and nauseous through dad Donald’s election victory speech after staying awake for nearly 24 hours' from The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/2147584/donald-trumps-late-night-triumph-proves-too-much-for-his-exhausted-young-son-barron-who-can-barely-stay-awake-during-his-dads-victory-speech/
'Election 2016: Exit Polls' from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-exit-polls.html
'List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin' from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_elections_by_popular_vote_margin
'Paris Hilton reveals she voted for Trump' from The Hill http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/306652-paris-hilton-reveals-she-voted-for-trump
'Kanye West: I didn't vote but if I did, 'I would have voted for Trump'' from CNN http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/18/entertainment/kanye-west-donald-trump-trnd/
'Beyoncé - Single Ladies' from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY
'The real Clinton email scandal is that a bullshit story has dominated the campaign' from Vox http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/4/13500018/clinton-email-scandal-bullshit
'Clinton's lead in the popular vote surpasses 2 million' from Politico http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/clinton-lead-popular-vote-2016-231790
'Trump Is Self-Sabotaging His Campaign Because He Never Really Wanted The Job In The First Place' from The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/trump-self-sabotage_b_11545026.html
'Watch: How Nigel Farage became friends with Donald Trump' from The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/16/watch-how-nigel-farage-became-friends-with-donald-trump/
'Republicans hold the House and Senate, but will that end the Washington gridlock even with President Trump?' from LA Times http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-election-congress-control-20161108-story.html
'ABFoundation' from Twitter https://twitter.com/abfalecbaldwin
'MELANIA TRUMP - THE FIRST LADY IN OUR NUDE PHOTO SHOOT' from GQ Magazine http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/donald-trump-melania-trump-knauss-first-lady-erections
'Melania Trump takes on cyberbullying: 'Our culture has gotten too mean'' from The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/03/melania-trump-cyberbullying-campaign-speech
'Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!' from Donald J Trump's Twitter https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/798721142525665280
'Sessions dogged by old allegations of racism' from CNN http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/17/politics/jeff-sessions-racism-allegations/
'Michael Flynn, Anti-Islamist Ex-General, Offered Security Post, Trump Aide Says' fron The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/18/us/politics/michael-flynn-national-security-adviser-donald-trump.html
'The crowd chants "lock her up" as Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn criticizes @HillaryClinton in his speech at the #RNCinCLE' from Politico's Twitter https://twitter.com/politico/status/755236633507729408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
'Ringside With Steve Bannon at Trump Tower as the President-Elect's Strategist Plots "An Entirely New Political Movement" (Exclusive)' from The Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannon-trump-tower-interview-trumps-strategist-plots-new-political-movement-948747
'Mike Pence—Conversion Therapy True Believer—Adds More Hate to Donald Trump’s GOP Fire' from The Daily Beast http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/20/mike-pence-conversion-therapy-true-believes-up-the-hate-for-donald-trump-s-gop.html
'‘Hamilton’ Had Some Unscripted Lines for Pence. Trump Wasn’t Happy.' from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/mike-pence-hamilton.html
'Hillary Clinton seen hiking day after conceding US election' from The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/10/hillary-clinton-hike-new-york-after-election-donald-trump
'Three ways Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has made history' from Salon http://www.salon.com/2016/11/08/3-ways-donald-trumps-presidential-campaign-made-history/

City students vote to ban The Sun, Express, and Daily Mail

City University students have voted to ban newspapers including The Sun, Express, and Daily Mail, saying they have “no place” on campus.

The motion, aimed at opposing fascism and social divisiveness in the UK media, argue that the three newspapers in question “demonise refugees and minorities” and “actively scapegoat the working classes.”

The newspapers in question give a platform to far-right figures such as Nigel Farage, Richard Littlejohn, and Katie Hopkins; people who City students argue shout not have a voice in the mainstream media.

The newspapers’ front page headlines have also stirred controversy recently. The Daily Mail dubbed three senior judges “Enemies of the People” after they ruled that Parliament should have a say on Brexit. Earlier this month, the Express compared the court’s Brexit decision to a crisis on the same level as World War Two.

This decision to ban the newspaper comes only weeks after Lego announced that they would no longer be using the Daily Mail for free giveaways. The lobbying group ‘Stop Funding Hate’ is urging John Lewis, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer to do the same.

The City University motion also resolved that University contacts in the media industry should reach out to journalists and shareholders of the three newspapers in question.

Esteemed Sunday Times columnist Camilla Long tweeted that City’s decision to ban the three papers is “100% pathetic.” Many more argue that it will be a breach of freedom of speech if the University attempts to dictate what students can read and cannot read.

According to The Guardian, some journalism students at City are threatening to pull of the union in protest against the decision. City has a renowned journalism department and many graduates go on to find jobs working for the Sun, Mail or Express.

It is unclear how City will attempt to ban the newspapers. The journalism department has already stated that they will not block students’ access to the newspapers. Furthermore, some students find the notion absurd that walking through campus evening holding the Daily Mail might be against the rules soon.

Although student unions around the country have previously boycotted The Sun in protest of topless page three models, a blanket ban of three major newspapers has never been done before. The consensus on this ban appears to be: if students don’t want to read The Sun, Daily Mail, or Express, they simply shouldn’t buy it.

Donald Trump: One Week as Preisdent-Elect

It has been just over one week since billionaire Donald Trump defied the pollsters and surprised the media by getting elected as the next President of the United States. Donald Trump has, unsurprisingly, had a very busy week and voters have been given some more clues as to what exactly the Trump presidency will look like.

Professionalism 
Anti-Trump protesters have taken to the streets of US cities over the last week to voice their opposition to Trump’s callous rhetoric. Trump responded to these protests on Twitter, initially calling the protesters “unfair”. However, he later tweeted: “Love the fact that … protesters … have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!” The second tweet probably came following a gentle reminder from the White House or a member of his staff that the campaign is over now and he needs to unite the country. I suspect the public will begin to see a reserved and less impulsive Trump more frequently now he is President.

Appointments
Trump has been appointing Republicans to key positions in his cabinet this week. So far we know that Reince Priebus is going to be Trump’s Chief of staff and Steve Bannon is going to be Chief strategist. Priebus used to be Chairman of the Republican National Committee and is known to be close with House Speaker Paul Ryan. Bannon is an ex-Goldman Sachs financier and has already sparked controversy due to his position as executive chairman of an alt-right news website which opposes immigration and cultural diversity. So far these appointments lack relevant White House experience therefore it will be interesting to see if they even last in their current positions.

Transition
Already, the Office of the President-Elect has began the transition from Obama’s administration to Trump’s. Obama met Trump on Thursday and the Wall Street Journal has since reported that during the meeting Trump expressed his surprise at the scope of the duties. They also reported that many Trump aides were "unaware that the entire presidential staff working in the West Wing had to be replaced at the end of Mr. Obama’s term”.

Trump also began making phone calls and meeting with senior international politicians. British Prime Minister Theresa May was the 10th world leader that Trump contacted causing many to speculate on the state of the "special relationship". Though, Trump apparently told May the UK was a "very, very special place for me and for our country." Trump seemed to be more interested in another British politician this week though: Nigel Farage. They were pictured together in a gold-plated elevator having campaigned together last month. Is Farage expecting a new job working closely with President-elect Trump?

Media
Trump did his first television interview since the election result with CBS’s '60 Minutes'. He admitted he had no regrets regarding anything he said on the campaign however it became clear that many of the things he said on the campaign weren’t to be taken literally. Furthermore, following a meeting with Paul Ryan, he stated that issues which were going to be addressed on the first day in office include healthcare and immigration.


This first week has been extremely telling and already we are seeing Trump appear more presidential. I think Trump will quickly discover how difficult the job is and that he is in fact no better than any regular Republican politician. His ambitions for “better healthcare for less money” and to destroy ISIS will prove to be far easier said than done (duh!). Also, his temperament which was very public during the campaign will be made private and his use of social media will decrease. Donald Trump will never be a stereotypical statesman like any other US Presidents in modern history (especially since his anti-establishment rhetoric is part of his appeal) but it will be interesting to see how close to that he is willing to go.

Summer Camp 2016 - The Seniors' Pioneering Project

Could Bernie Sanders actually become President next week?

Of course not, you moron.