Show Notes
The United States’ deadly “counter-narcotics mission” off Venezuela’s coast hinges on an unproven drug-smuggling narrative - a familiar pretext for regime change, and one the mainstream media have been quick to echo. Meanwhile, Venezuelans face escalating repression at home. Contributors: Spencer Ackerman - Author, Reign of Terror and Waller vs Wildstorm Abby Martin - Journalist, The Empire Files Miguel Tinker Salas - Professor, Latin American history, Pomona College "Pablo" - Anonymous Venezuelan Journalist On our radar: New leaks, from a disputed 28-point peace proposal to a secretly recorded call between Trump’s envoy and a Russian official, have upended the delicate Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Meenakshi Ravi explores what these revelations mean for any future deal. Israel’s settlers: From margin to mainstream Israeli settler violence in the West Bank has surged to unprecedented levels, driven by a fringe movement whose far-right ideology has been amplified and normalised across Israeli news outlets. The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead reports on the movement’s growing power and the media ecosystem enabling its rise. Featuring: Hilla Dayan - Sociologist, University of Amsterdam Nimrod Nir - Political psychologist, Hebrew University of Jerusalem / Director, AGAM Labs Oren Ziv - Photojournalist, +972 Magazine
More from The Listening Post
Three years after the October 7 attacks and the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, there have been a slew of books, podcasts and media appearances revisiting what happened. Much of this is coming from former Biden officials who are trying to whitewash the administration's support for Israel and rehabilitate their reputations. They are being welcomed across mainstream media, whilst those with more critical accounts continue to struggle with invitations and access. Presenter: Richard Gizbert Contributors: Connor Echols – Managing editor, Responsible Statecraft Sarah Leah Whitson – Human rights lawyer Laura Albast – Fellow, Institute for Palestine Studies Akbar Shahid Ahmed – Diplomatic correspondent, The Washington Sun On our radar Hollywood’s big five studios became the big four this week. Skydance sealed one of the biggest media deals in history, buying Warner Bros Discovery, merging it with Paramount and taking control of a range of other outlets, including CNN. The Listening Post's Elettra Scrivo looks at how the deal will reshape the news business. Why is Nigel Farage suddenly receiving so much media scrutiny? Nigel Farage built his career on hardline anti-immigration rhetoric and has become one of the most recognisable names in British politics. The United Kingdom's Reform leader has been able to capitalise on what critics say has been a disproportionate amount of attention from the mainstream media. The Listening Post’s Meenakshi Ravi looks at the media that helped make Farage and the right-wing broadcaster that has become a platform for his political ambitions. Featuring: Banseka Kayembe – Founder, Naked Politics Carol Cadwalladr – Co-founder, The Nerve Oliver Dean – Assistant editor, Conservative Home
With elections one month away, the media discourse in Israel has narrowed in on one question about one man: What did Benjamin Netanyahu know before October 7? The prime minister is suing the Israeli newspaper that reported the claim, while the right-wing Channel 14 insists none of it matters. Missing from the coverage is any reckoning with what Israel has done in Gaza. Contributors: Dan Perry – Author, Ask Questions Later on Substack Diana Buttu – Human rights lawyer Ron Skolnik – Political consultant, Partners for Progressive Israel Yael Berda – Associate professor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem On our radar Donald Trump gathered some of the biggest names in AI this week and got them to agree to regulate themselves. Meenakshi Ravi examines the “morally binding” pact. Kidfluencers: The business of broadcasting childhood One of the most popular genres of online content these days is made by children – or rather, made of them. Family vlogging has become one of the internet’s most profitable genres. But questions remain over its stars’ labour protections and ability to consent to what is published about them. The Listening Post’s Tariq Nafi looks at the business of broadcasting childhood. Featuring: Caymi Barrett – Former child influencer Fortesa Latifi – Author, Like, Follow, Subscribe Sarah Adams – Founder, Mom.Uncharted
As Brazilians head into national elections, there’s a familiar name on the ballot: Bolsonaro. Not former President Jair Bolsonaro. It’s his son Flavio, who is presenting himself to the electorate as a more moderate version of his father. Election coverage has been dominated by a major corruption scandal - the biggest banking fraud case in the country’s history. Brazilians are accustomed to corruption scandals involving political figures. The coverage tends to be framed as: they’re all equally corrupt. Contributors: Andrew Fishman – President & co-founder, Intercept Brasil David Nemer – Professor, University of Virginia Andre Pagliarini – Professor, Louisiana State University Natalia Portinari – Reporter, O Globo Presenter: Richard Gizbert Producers: Iraklis Taxiarchis, Monazza Farooqi and Kritika Jindal Editor: Sidney Sonnerberg On our radar: Donald Trump’s decision to bar three news outlets from the White House appears to have backfired after journalists organised a media boycott and a judge overturned the ban. Tariq Nafi has been tracking the latest duel between the US president and the media. Reporter: Tariq Nafi Producer: Elettra Scrivo Editor: Haim Litani Spain's neo-Nazis: spectacle vs reality A fringe neo-Nazi movement in Spain, Nucleo Nacional, has attracted a growing online following by packaging incendiary and slickly produced content. The mainstream media attention the group has received has made a marginal organisation appear far larger and more influential than it is. The Listening Post’s Elettra Scrivo travels to Madrid - where she comes face-to-face with Nucleo Nacional’s members - to look at the reality that lies behind the spectacle. Featuring: Miquel Ramos – Author, 'Antifascistas' Urszula Mrozowska – Digital researcher in hate speech and extremism Producer / Reporter: Elettra Scrivo Editor: Sidney Sonnerberg / ajlisteningpost / ajlisteningpost https://bsky.app/profile/ajlisteningp... https://x.com/ajlisteningpost https://www.threads.net/@ajlisteningpost #aljazeeraenglish #brazil #politics #breakingnews
As Brazilians head into national elections, there’s a familiar name on the ballot: Bolsonaro. Not former President Jair Bolsonaro. It’s his son Flavio, who is presenting himself to the electorate as a more moderate version of his father. Election coverage has been dominated by a major corruption scandal - the biggest banking fraud case in the country’s history. Brazilians are accustomed to corruption scandals involving political figures. The coverage tends to be framed as: they’re all equally corrupt. Contributors: Andrew Fishman – President & co-founder, Intercept Brasil David Nemer – Professor, University of Virginia Andre Pagliarini – Professor, Louisiana State University Natalia Portinari – Reporter, O Globo Presenter: Richard Gizbert Producers: Iraklis Taxiarchis, Monazza Farooqi and Kritika Jindal Editor: Sidney Sonnerberg On our radar: Donald Trump’s decision to bar three news outlets from the White House appears to have backfired after journalists organised a media boycott and a judge overturned the ban. Tariq Nafi has been tracking the latest duel between the US president and the media. Reporter: Tariq Nafi Producer: Elettra Scrivo Editor: Haim Litani Spain's neo-Nazis: spectacle vs reality A fringe neo-Nazi movement in Spain, Nucleo Nacional, has attracted a growing online following by packaging incendiary and slickly produced content. The mainstream media attention the group has received has made a marginal organisation appear far larger and more influential than it is. The Listening Post’s Elettra Scrivo travels to Madrid - where she comes face-to-face with Nucleo Nacional’s members - to look at the reality that lies behind the spectacle. Featuring: Miquel Ramos – Author, 'Antifascistas' Urszula Mrozowska – Digital researcher in hate speech and extremism Producer / Reporter: Elettra Scrivo Editor: Sidney Sonnerberg / ajlisteningpost / ajlisteningpost https://bsky.app/profile/ajlisteningp... https://x.com/ajlisteningpost https://www.threads.net/@ajlisteningpost #aljazeeraenglish #brazil #politics #breakingnews
As Brazilians head into national elections, there’s a familiar name on the ballot: Bolsonaro. Not former President Jair Bolsonaro. It’s his son Flavio, who is presenting himself to the electorate as a more moderate version of his father. Election coverage has been dominated by a major corruption scandal - the biggest banking fraud case in the country’s history. Brazilians are accustomed to corruption scandals involving political figures. The coverage tends to be framed as: they’re all equally corrupt. Contributors: Andrew Fishman – President & co-founder, Intercept Brasil David Nemer – Professor, University of Virginia Andre Pagliarini – Professor, Louisiana State University Natalia Portinari – Reporter, O Globo On our radar: Donald Trump’s decision to bar three news outlets from the White House appears to have backfired after journalists organised a media boycott and a judge overturned the ban. Tariq Nafi has been tracking the latest duel between the US president and the media. Spain's neo-Nazis: spectacle vs reality A fringe neo-Nazi movement in Spain, Nucleo Nacional, has attracted a growing online following by packaging incendiary and slickly produced content. The mainstream media attention the group has received has made a marginal organisation appear far larger and more influential than it is. The Listening Post’s Elettra Scrivo travels to Madrid - where she comes face-to-face with Nucleo Nacional’s members - to look at the reality that lies behind the spectacle. Featuring: Miquel Ramos – Author, 'Antifascistas' Urszula Mrozowska – Digital researcher in hate speech and extremism