Episodes

  • Male infertility: A medical and media blind spot

    Male infertility: A medical and media blind spot
    Nov 5 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Male factors contribute to around half of all infertility cases. Yet when a couple struggles to conceive, the tests, the treatment and the conversation almost always centre on the woman. Men are handed a cup – then forgotten. The headlines overlook human stories over hype about "Spermageddon"! Warnings say sperm counts have halved. US Health Secretary and conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr calls it a national security threat to the USA (with heavy overtones of white supremacism). Influencers sell testosterone to healthy young men as a measure of manhood, despite it posing active risks to fertility health. In this episode, we ask why men are the invisible partner in fertility care, what the science on falling sperm counts really says and how the conflation of fertility with masculinity keeps men silent. Mathilda and Helena are joined by Shaun Greenaway, a male fertility coach with lived experience and co-host of The Male Fertility Podcast, along with Professor Allan Pacey MBE, Professor of Andrology at the University of Manchester and a former Chair of the British Fertility Society. Resources: The Fertility Alliance The Male Fertility Hub This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) It was edited by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Christy Callaway-Gale⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • The money taboo: Who profits from our silence?

    The money taboo: Who profits from our silence?
    Oct 22 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Surveys show most of us think we understand money, but far fewer can explain basic financial terms. Meanwhile, £1.28 billion was stolen through payment fraud last year, around £24 billion in benefits goes unclaimed every year, and MPs say a generation of students were mis-sold their loans. Into that gap have stepped finfluencers, manosphere “hustle” gurus (yes, Andrew Tate) and increasingly sophisticated AI scammers. At the root of this is a cultural taboo: don’t talk about money, don’t tell colleagues your salary. Half of Britons say talking about money feels rude or taboo. But that silence isn’t neutral. It helps unequal pay employers, lenders, scammers and abusers. With the Autumn Budget days away and money pages full of tax avoidance rather than debt avoidance, Mathilda and Helena ask: whose money worries does our media actually serve? And who’s deliberately kept out of understanding money? Helena and Mathilda are joined by Sammie Ellard-King, the founder of Up The Gains, host of The Money Gains Podcast and Money Content Creator of the Year 2024. He left university £24,000 in debt and kept it secret, then built one of the UK’s best-known personal finance brands. Plus, Harleen Nottay: a broadcaster and fraud investigator. She reports on BBC One’s Scam Interceptors and co-hosts the Scam Clinic podcast. Her Channel 4 documentary, The £12 Million Rental Scam, was nominated for Best Investigation at the Asian Media Awards. Support and resources: Debt advice: StepChange or Citizens Advice Surviving Economic Abuse National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge): 0808 2000 247, free and 24/7 Scams: if you think you’ve been scammed, call your bank on the number on the back of your card, then report it to Action Fraud Check what you’re entitled to: free benefits calculators from Policy in Practice or Turn2us Free, impartial money guidance: MoneyHelper This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) It was edited by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Christy Callaway-Gale⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • Cornell 7: Violence against women is a MAN’s problem

    Cornell 7: Violence against women is a MAN’s problem
    Oct 15 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! This episode contains conversation about rape, assault and violence. You can contact Rape Crisis for free on 0808 500 2222. This week, in the wake of the Cornell 7 case - a story of group male violence against a young woman, and of mass male bystanderism and complicity-by-silence - we want to bring back an episode we recorded at the end of 2024. At the time, two harrowing stories sent shockwaves around the world. In France, Dominique Pelicot was standing trial for recruiting 72 men to join him in drugging and raping his then wife, Gisèle, over the course of a decade. And in Kenya, Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei was burned alive after being set on fire by her ex-boyfriend. In the case of the Cornell 7, seven men assaulted and raped Jane Doe. But 50 other men stood by and didn’t stop it. 72 men assaulted and raped Gisele Pelicot. But THOUSANDS more were on the same website her ex-husband used, and thousands stood by and didn’t stop it. The Cornell 7 is a story about men. But social media algorithms feed the story to women. And the news outlets label the problem ‘violence against women’. Men are literally being erased from their problem – and then excused from the solution. It is MEN that should be talking about rape culture and what they’re doing to end it. It is men that should be calling out dangerous other men. It is men that should be putting forward solutions to keep women safe. It is men that have the power to change other men in society. In this episode of media storm, we flipped the script. Because if violence against women begins with men, it can also end with men. This archive episode features Daniel Guinness, Director of Beyond Equality, and workshop facilitator Nathaniel Cole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • We need to talk about violence against sex workers

    We need to talk about violence against sex workers
    Oct 8 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! This episode contains conversation about rape, assault and violence. You can contact Rape Crisis for free on 0808 500 2222. Do you know the names Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins? They are the two women murdered by serial rapist and multiple sex offender Simon Levy. In one of the worst cases of repeated failures by the Met Police, the British Transport Police, and the CPS, Levy was allowed to sexually assault and attack countless women, culminating in the deaths of Carmenza and Sheryl. Why were there so many police failures, and why aren’t their names more widely known? The answer to both these questions perhaps lies here: because both women were involved in sex work. In sentencing remarks, it was acknowledged that Levy picked sex workers as his victims because he believed he could get away with it. Certain women who experience sexual violence are more readily granted empathy, legitimacy and support by society and the media: if they’re not on drugs, if they’re not dressed provocatively, if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But what about a woman who sells sex? Do we think of them as a different kind of victim? And when it comes to the authorities: women who sell sex face endemic levels of violence, but are often reluctant to report to the police for a variety of reasons. They’re not taken seriously, they’ve experienced violence at the hands of police officers, they’re scared of being arrested for other aspects of their life, such as migrant status. And not only that, but police can profit from raids, arrests and convictions for prostitution. It was only in 2024 that Iain Packer, another serial violent offender, was jailed for the 2005 murder of Emma Caldwell and a catalogue of sexual violence against vulnerable women and sex workers. The case exposed dismissive attitudes from police towards women selling sex, and a normalisation of violence against sex workers. But 20 years since Emma’s death, Simon Levy was left to carry out the same violence as Iain Packer. So why did he – like so many sexual predators before him – assume that he could harm women involved in sex work with impunity? Joining us this episode is Niki Adams from the English Collective of Prostitutes and Lisa Longstaff from Women Against Rape. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) It was edited by⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Christy Callaway-Gale⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • Patriotism: Whose flag is it anyway?

    Patriotism: Whose flag is it anyway?
    Oct 1 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Since August 2025, thousands of St George's Crosses and Union flags have appeared on lampposts, roundabouts and motorway bridges across Britain. The far-right movement dubbed "Operation Raise the Colours" was sold as a patriotic outpouring. But the reality for migrants and ethnic minorities was vastly different. Racist riots are in their third summer. And now the far-right claim to be marching "under God". So what is patriotism for? Can you love your country without envisioning an enemy? When does pride become prejudice? And if the far-right uses the flag to recruit lonely, left-behind young men, should the rest of us fight to take it back? This week, Mathilda & Helena are joined by two guests. Firstly, Imam Adam Kelwick, who was filmed in 2024 talking with and embracing far-right protestors outside his mosque. His words at the time, "they just want to be heard", travelled around the world. And secondly, we are joined by the National Organiser of Black Lives Matter UK, Kojo Kyerewaa. We also revisit firsthand testimonies from Media Storm's 2023 investigation into Far-Right radicalisation, with reformed neo-Nazi recruiter Nigel Bromage and EDL co-founder (and uncle of Tommy Robinson) Darren Carroll. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) It was edited by⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Christy Callaway-Gale⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The Great ADHD Media Myths

    The Great ADHD Media Myths
    Sep 17 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! This episode contains discussion of suicide and self-harm. If you are struggling you can call the Samaritans for free, any time, on 116 123. ADHD is recognised as an established neurodevelopmental condition by the world’s most respected medical and health organisations. But as diagnoses have risen, a narrative has formed: that people with ADHD are simply lazy, not trying hard enough, addicted to social media, or just want benefits. Or even – that ADHD is just not real. These narratives about neurodiversity play perfectly into binary culture war clickbait, amplified so often by our right-wing media. This is possibly why there has been an even greater backlash to a recent ‘documentary’ released on Channel 4 – a broadcaster usually committed to diversity and balance. ‘The Great ADHD Myth?’ claimed it was a “science-led” documentary, seeking to determine whether ADHD was a “genuine neurodevelopmental disorder, or a social construct”. Yet the documentary plays more as an opinion piece, in which every anecdote, interviewee and quote is cherry-picked to suit the presenter’s original hypothesis. The presenter, as it turns out, writes ADHD-sceptic columns for The Daily Mail and The Spectator. There is only one person who actually has ADHD featured in the entire programme – a 10-year-old boy who takes part in an absurdly unscientific “experiment” concerning his medication. The Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of GPs have criticised the programme, and one scientist has said publicly that her interview was “truncated and presented out of context”. The programme sums up the state of our media when it comes to reporting on ADHD – oversimplifying complex neuroscience, debating clinical consensus, panicking about rising diagnoses, leaning into the worst stereotypes and scapegoating social media. How do we change the narrative? Joining us on this episode is journalist and author of ‘It’s Not a Bloody Trend’, Kat Brown, and the founder of ADHD Works, Leanne Maskell. Buy AuDHD: Blooming Differently here. Buy ADHD: An A to Z here. Buy It's Not A Bloody Trend here or find Kat’s books as part of the Reading Well programme in libraries around the UK. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) It was edited by⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Christy Callaway-Gale⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • Heatwaves and Net Zero: Who sets the climate agenda?

    Heatwaves and Net Zero: Who sets the climate agenda?
    Sep 10 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news (and Mathilda’s baby)? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! This month, the UN released a new report about climate change: the planet is soon poised to breach the safe temperature limit, reaching at least 1.8C under even the most optimistic future. The report is clear: “There are no good outcomes above 1.5C”. Every fraction of a degree will cost lives, destroy livelihoods, deepen inequality and push ecosystems closer to irreversible damage. Pretty huge news right? Not according to the mainstream media, who dedicated a mere two articles to this report. This summer, rolling heatwaves hit the northern hemisphere with an intensity not ever seen before. Droughts have ruined Europe’s harvests. A collapsing glacier led to a flash flood that swept away over a thousand people in Nepal and Tibet. A ‘godzilla’ El Niño is brewing in the Pacific that scientists say will be the strongest in 1000 years. And the media? They’re dedicating time to callers who think trees spontaneously combust and telling the public to just ‘embrace a Mediterranean lifestyle’. (By the way, Sunday Telegraph editor, that Mediterranean lifestyle you speak of now includes wildfires, displacement and death). Scientists have repeatedly proved that the best hope for humanity is to stick to a goal of net zero emissions by 2050 - cutting down major pollution sources like oil and gas, and using natural absorbers to help take the remaining gases out of the air. In 2019 Theresa May signed the UK’s Net Zero target into law. “Standing by is not an option,” she said. The landmark pledge reflected a rare cross-party consensus. But last year, the UK’s right-wing parties began openly questioning long-settled climate science. The Tories u-turned on their pledge, and Net Zero became increasingly politically contentious. Negative articles and editorials about net zero skyrocketed. Nearly 100 UK newspaper editorials opposed climate action in 2025. There were more than two editorials a week attacking Ed Miliband, the then Labour energy secretary. It marked the first time that editorials opposing climate action overtook those supporting it. Where did they come from? Who is funding fossil fuel interests? Why has climate denial taken root in the right-wing? And what can we do when faced with climate doom? To help us answer those questions and shine a light on the fossil fuel interests that run our news cycle, we’re joined by DeSmog investigative journalist Sam Bright and climate journalist and writer Diyora Shadijanova. Read DeSmog’s investigation into The Telegraph’s record of climate falsehoods here. Join Diyora’s climate book club here. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • How Britain turned its back on care workers

    How Britain turned its back on care workers
    Sep 3 2026
    Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Angry? Find out how to help at The Care Workers Charity ‘Get Involved’ page. Adult social care in England is one of the hardest, lowest-paid jobs in the country, holding up a system that governments of both main parties call "broken" – yet keep declining to fix. The average care worker is paid close to the legal minimum, and the sector's vacancy rate is three times the national average. Into that vacancy vacuum, the post-Brexit Tory government opened the Skilled Worker visa route. Arrivals surged. Care workers became the single biggest group on the visa, and the UK suddenly hit RECORD NET MIGRATION! Over 900,000 in 2023. The headlines went wild. That peak became a political weapon. The state's response was not to fix pay or funding in the care sector. It was to squeeze the very workforce it had just imported. Care workers lost the right to bring family over. Sponsor licenses were sweepingly revoked, and thousands of workers were left stranded, often laden with recruitment debt, given no recourse to public funds. The media ignored the human costs of the cull they cheered on. In this episode, Mathilda and Helena are joined by two carers - Clementina Odih Okozi and Georgia Edwards - to find out the real causes of the "crisis" in care. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) It was edited by⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Christy Callaway-Gale⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins