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The Observer

Every Monday and Friday three journalists battle it out to try and convince the editor that their pitch should lead the news. 

Discover what goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom. Why do some stories dominate, while others fail to make the cut?

Tell us if you agree with the final running order - email newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com 

Book your place at a news meeting live in our newsroom - https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events 

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Casey Magloire

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tortoise News

Will the shooting of two National Guards in Washington DC change US politics forever? Should the UK roll out screening for prostate cancer? Did Chancellor Rachel Reeves miss an opportunity to gear up the economy for growth?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Cat Neilan, Steve Bloomfield and James Tapper, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

Find the teams Must Reads:

Less WFH, more Lime, slower buses

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why wasn’t Rachel Reeves’ budget bolder?

David Lammy has proposed scrapping jury trials in England and Wales for all but the most serious offences. Paramount Global has obtained exclusive streaming rights to the UEFA Champions League - a move that could redefine how football fans follow the sport in the future. Revelations that MAGA-supporting accounts on X are operated from countries like North Macedonia, Pakistan and Poland raise concerns about foreign-driven influence and its impact on political discourse.

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Head of Investigations Alexi Mostrous, sports reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys, and journalist, author, and presenter Jenny Kleeman as they compete to pitch the day’s top stories.

While we’ve wrapped up our live editions of The News Meeting for 2025, keep checking https://observer.co.uk/our-events if you’d like to join us at recordings in 2026.

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Giles Whittell

Producer: Amalie Sortland and Poppy Bullard

Executive Producers: Matt Russell and Rebecca Moore 

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why might the government scrap jury trials?

Did international tourists go on “sniper safaris” to Sarajevo during the siege in the mid-nineties? Why do some campaigners want to halt the new medical trial into the use of puberty blockers? What lies behind renewed efforts to find a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Stephen Armstrong, Bex Sander and Francisco Garcia, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will talks to end the war in Ukraine lead anywhere?

A Russian spy ship has directed lasers at Royal Air Force pilots monitoring its movements near UK waters. What is President Vladimir Putin trying to achieve with this latest provocation? Scotland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Can this rare moment of sporting joy help unite the nation? Meanwhile, councils are weighing up the sale of youth and community centres. What consequences could these closures have for local communities?

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Assistant Sports Editor, Jessica Hayden, Data and Graphics reporter, Becky Pinnington, and Contributing Editor on National Security, Bernard Gray, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

Get your ticket for the News Meeting Live HERE 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Giles Whitell

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore 

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is a Russian spy ship targeting the RAF?

The Home Secretary has announced a raft of tough immigration controls to make the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migrants. The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to death, how is the UK connected to alleged corruption in her regime? And why does President Donald Trump suddenly want to release the Epstein files?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Cat Neilan, Bex Sander and Serena Cesareo, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

Listen to our Londongrad podcast series HERE

Get your ticket for the News Meeting Live HERE 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producer: Katie Gunning

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is Shabana Mahmood inspired by Denmark’s asylum policies?

Twenty thousand documents from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released. Could emails referencing Donald Trump divide his loyal MAGA base? Has a No. 10 briefing warning backbenchers about a possible coup exposed a vulnerability in Keir Starmer’s leadership? And Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, but is that even possible?

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Alexi Mostrous, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Poppy Bullard, as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 

Get your ticket for the News Meeting Live HERE 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Giles Whitell

Producer: Casey Magloire 

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore 

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why have US politicians released documents on Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump?

Why are so many prisoners being released from prison by mistake? What happens if Arts Council England goes under? And what can the Democrats learn from Mamdani’s New York City mayoral election victory?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Deputy Sports Editor, Andrew Butler, Arts and Media Editor, Vanessa Thorpe, and reporter Jon Ungoed-Thomas as they pitch their top stories of the day.

Must Reads:

Days of wine and noses: the life of a critic

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producers: Matt Russell and Poppy Bullard

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Zohran Mamdani take on President Trump?

Will there be any voter suppression in Tuesday’s US elections? Why did a British university prevent one of its academics from researching human rights abuses in China? Are Sudan’s rebels using British-made equipment on the battlefield?

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Data and Graphics editor, Katie Riley, Senior Audio Producer Katie Gunning, and Senior Researcher Serena Cesareo as they pitch their top stories of the day

Must Reads:

She Was Ready To Have Her 15th Child. Then The Felony Charges Began.The Great Ghosting ParadoxThe Cocaine Kingpin Living It Large In DubaiAssata Shakur Obituary

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Giles Whitell

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the UK indirectly implicated in the civil war in Sudan?

What do we do with the knowledge that climate change made Hurricane Melissa worse? Why was there such a deadly police raid in Brazil? And why isn’t hospice care treated as an essential part of healthcare? 

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Data and Graphics editor, Katie Riley, and reporters James Tapper and Rachael Healy, as they pitch their top stories of the day.

Must Reads:

Some People Can’t See Mental ImagesPolitical Beliefs Dating App ExperimentPremiere League

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s behind Brazil’s deadly police raid?

The storm caused widespread damage in Jamaica and is making its way to Cuba; is climate change to blame for its power? What - or who - is behind Donald Trump’s obsession with Venezuela? Is it good news that a cargo ship has made it through the North East Passage for the first time?

Jeevan Vasagar is joined by the Observer’s Erica Wagner, Jessica Hayden and Chloe Hadjimatheou as they pitch their top stories of the day, live from the Observer newsroom. 

Must Reads:

JumpersThe House at Number 48Iran, Russia and the New Zealand insurer that kept their sanctioned oil flowing

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk 

Follow us on Social Media: 

 • @ObserverUK on X 
 • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
 • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 

Host: Jeevan Vasagar

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Matt Russell

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is Shabana Mahmood inspired by Denmark’s asylum policies?

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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