About our audio
Slow news stories designed for listening
Tortoise’s podcasts are focused on untold stories. In the face of information overload, incremental news-gathering and perishable scoops, we take time to investigate human stories that we think offer a deeper, longer-lasting understanding of what’s happening in the world.
Londongrad season II
Iran’s hit squads
Since January 2022, there has been an attempted assassination or kidnap at least once a month – all ordered by the Iranian government. In this new four-part series, Paul Caruana Galizia delves into how these attempts have been foiled and why these attempts have become so prevalent.
The Slow Newscast
Our biggest stories, given voice
Beastly: the stories of David Walliams
23 May 2023
42 minutes
What do you do with a star children’s author who can’t stop pushing the boundaries?
More episodes
Children locked away: Britain’s modern bedlam
A new Tortoise investigation into how the country’s most distressed and vulnerable children are being abandoned by the state.
Blackout: Coal, corruption and cyanide
South Africa was once a symbol of hope. Now the country experiences regular blackouts. This is the story of how the lights went out in Mandela’s country – and how criminal gangs and flawed political leadership are holding back the world’s efforts to deal with climate change
Rogue Lawyer: Power, money and a scandal at a London law firm
Yesterday’s Men: The Brexit hardliners’ last stand
The European Research Group was once the most consequential faction in the Conservative party, playing a central role in bringing down former prime minister Theresa May and installing Boris Johnson in Number 10. And yet, in a recent test of strength, the Brexit hardliners stumbled. This is the story of what happened to the ERG.
Multi-part series
Pitch us a story
If you have an idea for a podcast, we’d love to hear from you.
More series
Sensemaker Daily
One story every day to make sense of the world.
Mel’s Electric Adventure
Come on a drive with comedian Mel Giedroyc and Tortoise journalist Giles Whittell in their podcast about electric cars.
The News Meeting
Each week, three Tortoise journalists pitch the story they think should lead the news.
The Backstory
with Andrew Neil
A series of in-depth conversations with people in power and those trying to influence them, hosted by the UK’s most formidable interviewer.
Visible Women
with Caroline Criado Perez
How can we fix the gender data gap – and build a world that works for everyone?
The Second Elizabethan Age
with Richard Lambert
A reflection on the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II and how society changed under her rule.
a four-part podcast series
Hidden homicides
How many women are killed – but not counted?
Left to die
When Islamist insurgents attacked a town in Mozambique in March, civilians and foreign contractors raced to a local hotel for safety. Over three agonising days, they waited for a rescue. But no one came.
My Mother’s murder
An investigation by Paul Caruana Galizia into the life and killing of his mother, the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
